Bittersweet
by MissAuthorChick
Summary: AU- Katniss Everdeen, the new girl, just moved from District 4 to 12. Her last year of high school proves to be more difficult than expected. Faced with addiction, romance, and drama, she has to force herself to paint a bigger picture.
1. A New Start

Chapter One

A New Start

My name is Katniss Everdeen. I'm 17 years old. My father died ten years ago. I have abandonment issues.

I was never the type to get along with just anyone. The only people I truly care about right now is my mother and sister, Prim.

It's my last year of high school. I'm transferring from District 4 to 12. Long gone are the days of sandy shores. District 12 does not uphold the best reputation, but it does have beautiful forests.

My mother is a nurse. She lost her job, so the next best thing was moving to 12. She originally lived here and it's where she met dad. They both wanted to get away from their family, so they moved to District 4 to start their own. Now my dad is dead, and my Mom's only family is her decaying dad, my grandfather.

I'm going to be the only new student in the senior class. Therefore, all eyes are on me. The typical new girl scene in all the stories. Except I'm not nervous. Not yet at least.

I'm just dreading it.

Making friends hasn't always been my strong suit. I have Resting Bitch Face, a cruel condition that god bestowed on me. It doesn't help that my tone is a bit rude. I'm not very trusting of people. Not ever since my one best friend betrayed me.

We're not getting into that story just yet.

Moving wasn't hard. We just packed everything into the truck that Mom drives. Prim went with her, and I followed them in my own car. District 12 was only 4 hours away, surprisingly. It always looked farther on the maps.

Our neighborhood is called the "Victor's Village", the richer side of the district. Our family was once dirt poor until mom's career took off. Ever since, we've been living decently, even after dad died. All the houses look identical, but nevertheless are still beautiful. I take in the scenery of the area and I'm satisfied. It's not the beach in District 4, but I can live with it.

I carry my boxes upstairs to my room and slowly start to unpack. The large furniture was delivered the day before, so my bed and desk are already placed. I start to fold my clothes and place them into my dresser and/or my closet. Prim occasionally peaks her head in through the door to see her big sister's room. As I finish unpacking the last of the clothes, I look up towards the window and see a guy. He's obviously my next door neighbor, and our rooms are across from each other.

I mentioned that these houses looked identical right? It's no wonder our room has the same layout and window placement.

I decide to put up my curtain so this guy doesn't think I'm a creep peering into his room and vice versa. I think he saw me put the curtain up, but I pay no mind to it. I have to help the rest of my household unpack.

* * *

The rest of the evening goes by smoothly and soon I'm off to my bedroom. I dim the lights down in my room, not wanting to be swallowed by the darkness just yet. I pick up a textbook on my desk and bring it with me into my bed. I'm not exactly an overachiever at school, but I don't like to look stupid either.

As I'm catching up on quadratic formulas, I hear a tap on my window. At first I dismiss miss it, figuring it's just the wind but I hear the tap again. And again.

And again.

Finally, I push my book to the side and walk to my window. I move the curtain to the side, only to be faced with the bluest eyes I've ever seen. He motions for me to lift the window up so I hesitantly do it. He climbs through it and laughs at himself.

I'm still trying to figure out why the hell this guy is here.

And why did I even let him in?

He looks at me and shows off the biggest grin. He holds his hand out to shake mine.

"Hey, I'm Peeta."

* * *

 **Hello! I'm MissAuthorChick, or you guys can refer to me as Mac, either one is fine. I do enjoy writing, and I have been in the process of writing my own original story, however I felt a force pushing me to start writing fanfiction again. So here I am, back at it again doing things that I love. I hope you all enjoy what I produce out here. Once I get into the flow of this, I'll probably have consistent weekly uploads. Anyway, enjoy 3.**


	2. The Friendship Circle

Chapter Two

The Friendship Circle

It's interesting how you meet people sometimes. Peeta is sitting on my bed right now while I'm still trying to comprehend the situation. This boy climbed from his window and knocked on mine. I usually would've scowled at him and continued reading, but something drew me to let him in. Maybe I'm softening up?

"I saw you earlier through my window," he says pointing towards it. "I wanted to make a lasting impression."

I fold my arms and raise my eyebrow. "Your idea of a lasting impression is to sneak into my room at 10pm on a Sunday?" I'm trying to keep a stone face, but my face betrays me by letting out a half smile.

"What can I say? I'm creative," He shrugs his shoulders. "Where did you come from?"

I sigh and decide to get back in my bed. Just because he's sitting on it doesn't mean that I can't get comfortable now. "We're from District 4. My mom, sister, and I. My mom and dad were originally from here."

"Have you ever visited?"

"I mean, if we ever did I would've been super young."

We continue having a conversation. Peeta does most of the talking. I'm not exactly used to people holding interest in me. Yet alone yield enough interest that they come crawling through my bedroom window. I cannot stop stealing glances at Peeta's eyes. The way they glisten, even when it's dark, is special to me. I've never seen another human with eyes like this.

Peeta is still going on about the different landmarks in District 12 when I say, "Do you always talk this much," I blurt out, instantly regretting my words. Here I go again sounding rude to everyone on this planet.

"Hmmmm," He scratches his blond hair. "Only if I like the person,"

"You barely know me," I roll my eyes at him.

He gets out of the bed and starts walking towards the window. "I have a feeling that we'll be good friends," He winks at me before stepping out.

And with that, he's back at his house. I slip out of my bed to cover my window with the curtain again. It's been less than 12 hours since I got here and I've already acquainted myself with my next door neighbor. It's not a bad start.

* * *

The knock on my door early in the morning wakes me up. I'm exhausted. My muscles are sore, yet I have to get up and slave away at school. I throw the covers off me and hurry to get dressed. Mom is making me take Prim to school now, so I have to leave extra early and drop her off at her middle school.

I don't have anyone to impress so I dress in a simple t-shirt and blue jeans. I braid my hair quickly. It turns out a little messy, but it's not the end of the world for me.

"Katniss?" Prim's soft voice is heard at my doorway. I turn around and give her a smile.

"You ready to go Prim?" I ask her while picking up my school bag and slinging it across my shoulders.

She shakes her head. A little tear falls down her face. Seeing my sister upset makes me really uneasy especially since she's one of the happiest people I've ever came across. I walk towards her and pull her into my arms. "What's wrong?" I rub my hand up and down her back, trying to soothe her.

"I'm scared," She sniffles. "I miss my friends back home. What if no one likes me here?"

"Prim, you are way more likeable than I will ever be. Not only that, you're very charismatic just like dad was. You're going to be fine," I grab a towel to wipe her tears away. "It's okay to feel anxious about this. We are the new kids in the community."

She takes the towel from me and continues to wipe her face. I give her one last hug before telling her to get into the car.

The drive to her middle school isn't far. It's actually a reasonable walk from our house, but I'm fine with driving her since it's on route to my school. When she leaves the car, I start to grow anxious. Not for her, but for me. I know exactly one person at my school, Peeta. I'm not going to bother him though. He has his friends.

Here's to a good first day.

* * *

When I walk into the school, I realize it's a lot bigger than I expected it to be. In a college like style, each subject has its own building dedicated to it, meaning that I'm going to get lost looking for each building. I had to go to the office to receive my schedule. The secretary asked me if I wanted a tour guide, but I declined without truly thinking it through.

Now I'm wondering around, trying to find the damn history building. I'm staring at my schedule while I'm walking, so it isn't a surprise when I run head on into this person. I fall to the ground, dropping my cell phone.

"Watch it, Brainless," A brunette scowls at me. She reaches her hand out and I grab it. She helps lift me up and bends over to pick my phone up. "Well you didn't crack your screen, this time…" She hands it over to me.

"I'm so sorry. I'm just lost, so I kept looking at the schedule to figure everything out," I explain to her, but she waves her hand. She snatches the paper from me and examines it.

"Looks like you're stuck with me for senior year," She smirks. "Figured you were new when I couldn't recognize who the hell you were. I'm Johanna." She introduces herself. I thought she despised me when she called me "Brainless" but for now she seems neutral towards me. Plus she's helping me find all my classes, which I am grateful for.

As we walk into a building, she stops walking to face me. "Usually they give the new students tour guides, but they've been slacking lately. I can show you around and tell you how things work around here," She offers to me.

This time I accept it. I nearly got lost in this jungle of a school. I'm not trying to have a mental breakdown learning the ropes of this place. "Lead the way."

We eventually get to our classroom. Johanna leads us to the back of the classroom and motions for me to sit beside her. Students are still filing into the classroom. I look over to Johanna and see that she's texting on her phone. She's leaning back in her chair with her feet propped up. I can't help but to feel awkward. It's a new environment with unfamiliar people.

"Brainless-"

"It's Katniss," I cut her off to correct her.

She smirks. "Listen, you're stuck with this nickname whether you like it or not," She puts her feet on the ground and turns her chair to face me. "Where are you from?"

"District 4, the glorious land of the sea," I say sarcastically.

"Then you probably knew my friend Finnick? Finnick Odair?"

Finnick Odair was the classic pretty boy. Beautiful would be a better word to describe him. He had all the girls wrapped around his finger. All of them except for me. He was too beautiful and full of himself so I paid him no mind. I never got to fully know him either. We knew each other existed but never took the time to talk. He had his group of friends, and I had a friend.

Had.

I nod my head while taking out a notebook. "Yeah, we had some classes together."

Johanna's mouth moves to speak, but the bell rings. The teacher walks into the classroom at the top of the hour and starts to write on the board.

Here begins a long day school.

* * *

After our first five classes, Johanna and I walk to the cafeteria. I'm so starving that I could pass out, but I don't want to overindulge in the food and look like I'm greedy.

"I don't know about you, but I am craving some pizza," Johanna says as her belly lets out a loud groan. "I'll introduce you to some of my friends in a second, but let's hurry up before the line gets too long."

Thankfully, we missed out on the huge line that was beginning to form behind us. We both grab our plates and I follow her to a table filled with people. Johanna grabs a chair and sits down with the five other people here. "Make room for Brainless here," She commands them. I sit down next to her. "Brainless, this is Clove, Delly, Madge, and Thresh. Our other friend is painting probably, he should be here soon."

"What's your actual name?" A small brunette girl, Clove asks me. One word to describe her? Stunning. If looks could kill, I would have been dead by now.

"Katniss Everdeen."

Another girl smiles in my direction and scoots her chair so that she is across from me. "Hey Katniss, it's nice to meet you. I'm Delly." Does she always smile this much? I'm not used to people being so happy all the time.

The last girl clears her throat. "I'm Madge. I'm sure you'll fit right into our group."

Thresh, the only guy here, kind of scares me. He's a very muscular man, with broad shoulders. He doesn't look the least bit nice, but he quickly disproves my theory when he smiles at me. My nerves are quickly flushed away.

"Well, here comes Pretty Boy," Johanna says with her mouth full of pizza. I turn around only to see the boy with blue eyes yet again. What a coincidence.

"Katniss, fancy seeing you again," Peeta throws his arm around my shoulders. I wasn't prepared for the contact, but I don't push him away either.

Johanna raises her eyebrows in confusion. "You two already met? Why didn't you tell me Brainless?"

I wiggle out of Peeta's arms. I wasn't uncomfortable, but I was concerned with how natural it felt. I'm not used to people wanting to associate with me. "It must've slipped my mind."

"I saw her through my window yesterday. And that ladies and gents, is how I met my next door neighbor," He bites into an apple. Even though it's half eaten, he tosses it to Clove who successfully catches it with one hand. "You wanna hang out with us tonight?" He turns to me with these puppy dog eyes. What's this man's angle?

"I'm not sure…"

"Oh no, you're coming with us to the lake tonight," Madge touches my arm to grab my attention. "We're the only people who truly hang out there so it's pretty peaceful."

Johanna takes another bite of her pizza, almost swallowing it whole. "Peeta will get you after school. Just like he'll take you to your next class," She gets up, grabs Thresh's arm and walks away with him. I guess they have something going on.

Johanna just threw Peeta on to me. I don't think I'm ready for some more one on one action with him because he is a lot to unpack. Trusting men is hard for me to do, especially after my last encounter with one. Supposedly my best friend. I believe Peeta may be a good guy though, but you can never be so sure.

* * *

 **Hey guys, Mac here. I've returned once again with a longer chapter. I've had the urge to write all day and that's what I did. My goal is to still do weekly updates of this story, however when I get a huge drive to write I can pop out chapters like it's nothing. Therefore, if I happen to update tomorrow...don't be surprised. Anyway, hope y'all enjoy this chapter 3.**


	3. A Trip to The Lake

Chapter Three

A Trip to The Lake

The rest of the day goes by in a flash and soon I'm home with a ton of homework on my desk. Instead of starting on it, I go downstairs to grab a snack. My mom's not going to be home until 5, therefore dinner will not be served for a while. I grab a banana and then throw myself on the couch. After peeling it, I shove it in my mouth, hoping it will resolve my hunger for now.

This school year might be fine after all. After being left in the shadows, people have taken interest in me. As much as I loved District 4, I never fit in there. I thought Johanna was going to rip my head off when we first met but she just took me under her belt. Now I'm stuck with her nickname, but it doesn't bother me as much as it seems. Clove may be short, but she's not the one to mess with. She talked to me about how her dad taught her the art of knife throwing. Now she keeps at least two small knives on her whenever she goes out. Delly isn't exactly my cup of tea but I can handle her. Her cheerfulness is a lot to take in, especially since I've never seen someone actually be that happy. She'll grow on me. Madge seems a bit...prissy? She's obviously the richest one in the group, yet doesn't like to associate with the higher class. Strange. Thresh, well I didn't get to talk to him much before Johanna dragged him out of the cafeteria. I don't want to assume anything, but it seems like they might be dating. Then there's Peeta…

My cell phone vibrates, bringing me out of my thoughts. I pick it up and see it's from Johanna.

 **Johanna [4:17 pm]**

 _Meet us at the lake at 7_

I never said that I would go, yet the group refuses to take no for an answer. I text her back quickly as I walk up the stairs to my room.

 **Katniss [4:19 pm]**

 _I have a truckload of homework to do_

 **Johanna [4:19 pm]**

 _Who cares? Excuses._

She is right. It's just an excuse for me to bail.

 **Katniss [4:21 pm]**

 _Fine. We'll see._

I toss my phone on the bed. I might as well start working before I have to go out.

* * *

After dinner, my mom retreats to her room and my sister watches cartoons downstairs. It's already 6:30 and I'm tempted to just skip out on this trip to the lake, when I hear the tapping on my window.

I can't ignore it now. I take a deep breath before moving the curtains to the side, revealing a smiling Peeta. Does he ever stop smiling? He and Delly can be so similar sometimes. His window is already open, so he prompts me climb through.

I open my window, "Give me a second, it's hot and I want to change." I tell him before running to my closet. I peel off my jeans and replace them with shorts. It's only after I zip them up that I realize I left my window opened.

I turn my head to see if Peeta was still at his window, but he was nowhere to be found. I dodged a bullet there. I grab my sneakers and shove them on my feet before climbing through my window into his house.

Peeta's bedroom is your typical guy room. His tv is near his bed, he has the latest consoles, and it's a bit messy. Peeta's laying on his bed, texting on his phone when I come in. His eyes sparkle when he looks up at me. His gaze can be so intimidating, yet comforting at the same time.

"Well if it isn't the lady of the hour."

I roll my eyes at him. Instead of standing, I sit down next to him. He tenses up because he wasn't used to the sudden closeness, but recovers quickly. "How far is the lake from here?" I ask him.

"It's a fairly short walk from here. Hope you're not afraid of the woods," His voice drops as if he's trying to sound dark and twisted.

"I actually do enjoy the woods. In fact, when I was younger, my dad and I would go on trips into the forest and I would watch him hunt," The story spills out of my mouth. I don't tell people the little details about my life, but with Peeta it's easy to let it loose. Maybe it's because he shows that he's genuine.

But I can't always be too sure.

He sits up and adjusts himself so that he can look at me properly. "Hunting sounds more fun than waking up at 5am to prepare a bakery," He says, stroking his chin. "I actually do enjoy baking. It gives me the chance to show my creative side."

"Your family has a business?" I ask, gaining interest. I hope he takes me there one day because I would die for some baked goods. Prim would want the frosted cookies. I can just imagine her excited face if I bought her some freshly baked cookies.

"Yeah, _Mellark's_ , such an original name," He says sarcastically.

He gets out of bed, taking me with him by grabbing my hand. My first instinct is to retract my hand from his, but I remind myself to relax. He brings us to his desk, where all these notepads and and pencils are scattered on. He lets go of my arm and picks up one of the notepads. He skips through it until he finds a clean page. "Tell me what you would like from the bakery and I'll personally deliver it to you," He starts writing in the book.

"You don't have to-"

He waves his hand around, trying to wash out my words. "It's on me."

* * *

The forests of District 12 is simply breathtaking. Peeta leads me through the forest, showing me all the perfect spots to escape to. We had to climb the fence to get in, but it wasn't a hard climb. I'm assuming they want to keep the wild animals out, but I doubt there's anything too vicious in here.

"You're in awe," Peeta comments, bringing me back to reality. He likes to pay attention to people, missing a single detail isn't an option for him. "I come here by myself sometimes and get lost in the art of it all."

I touch one of the trees, studying the features. I could climb any tree here and watch the scenery unfold in front of my eyes. He wasn't alive for most of my life, but the forest does remind me of my dad.

Peeta and I continue walking in a comfortable silence. He's leading the way, whereas I'm exploring every inch of this place. Soon, we approach a short pathway leading to the lake.

Madge and Delly are dipping their toes in the water, having an intense conversation while Johanna and Clove are taking turns throwing her knives into a tree. Johanna notices us coming, so she folds her arms. "Brainless, actually showed up. I almost didn't have faith in you," She walks over to me and pats my back a little too hard. "I knew Peeta would convince you to come. He's such a charm." She paws at his arm.

"Jo, stop flattering me," Peeta excuses himself and walks over to Madge and Delly. I watch as sits down next to Delly, and drops his hand in the water.

Johanna groaning at me causes me to jump. "Stop eyeing Peeta Mellark. Well, at least don't do it in front of me."

I feel my face turning red. "What are you talking about?"

She scoffs at me. "You really are brainless...Come on," We walk towards the small group that's formed at the end of the lake. Johanna plops next to Clove, who is throwing pebbles into the lake.

"Katniss!" Madge says excitedly, patting the spot next to her. "I'm glad you came, I figured you would enjoy the fresh air."

"Yeah, you might've been right."

"We come out here a lot," Delly chimes in.

"Drinking out here is better than any other party I've been to," Johanna yawns. She points to me. "You're lucky it's a school night, or else we would've made you go through our 'Never have I Ever' initiation."

Clove's face turns mischievous. She whispers to Johanna, who slowly turns her head towards me. Clove nudges Peeta, who just looks confused until Clove whispers to him. He stands up, and walks towards Madge and I.

"What are you three up to?" Madge asks, genuinely looking confused.

Peeta shrugs, as if he is oblivious. "Nothing, I just wanted to ask Katniss...a question," He says, inching over to me. I start to feel anxious, not too bad, but the anticipation of what this boy is going to do or say is getting to me. He's suddenly in front of me, and I feel his hands wrap around my waist.

"What the fu-" I squeal, as he tosses me into the cold water. I wipe the water out of my eyes, just in time to see him jumping in after me. I splash water in his face, getting slight revenge on him. Clove and Johanna are laughing hard, while Madge starts to take her flats off. She jumps in, and soon enough everyone else follows.

The rest of the evening is filled with laughter and gossip. I'm slowly feeling myself let go of this concept of loneliness. It's just been myself for the longest, mostly my fault, but for once I can see myself being happy in the future.

Maybe.

* * *

 **Hey guys, Mac here with another chapter. I hope you're all enjoying so far. Make sure to follow and review! I would really appreciate it, honestly. Anyway, hopefully I will be able to update again quickly, probably 2-4 days. Enjoy 3**


	4. Nightmares

Chapter Four

Nightmares

 _"Katniss," The voice whispers in my ear. My drunken self giggles at the wind tickling my ear drums. I can barely stand up, but this person is holding me up. My arms lazily wrap around his neck, while he opens his car door. He throws me into the backseat and climbs in with me._

 _"What….are you doing?" I mumble, trying to wipe my eyes. My vision is blurred and I can barely see._

 _He puts his rough hands over my mouth. "Stay quiet, you'll enjoy this," I hear him unzip his pants. I try to push him away from me, but it's no use. My hands are going limp. What's happening to me?_

 _I bit his hand, but he just smacks me in return. My face burns in pain. "Sto-Stop," I try to protest, but it's no use. The person I called my best friend is abusing me and there's nothing I can do to stop it._

* * *

My owns scream wake me up. The terrible nightmare of that night recurs too often for my liking. My heart is pumping quickly, and my throat is dry. I've never told anyone the events of that night. Not even my own mother, a nurse. I went silent and avoided him ever since that night. Secluded myself from everyone. Until now.

I get out of my bed, too nervous to fall back asleep. I peek out my window only to see that Peeta is still asleep in his bed. Well, I'm assuming he is, I can't exactly see his face, but his legs are spread out. I want to tap on his window, but it's nearly 2am in the morning.

I settle for going downstairs and grabbing a bottle of water. To my surprise, my mom is awake at the dining table sewing something. I try to sneak past her, but she notices me instantly.

"What are you doing up?" She raises her eyebrow.

I open the refrigerator and take a water bottle. I shake it in front of her, "I woke up, got thirsty."

She studies me, but her eyes seem too tired to attempt a serious conversation. "Alright, sleep well sweetie," She gives me a soft smile.

"You too mom," I say, walking back up the stairs. My mom has been watching my behavior change over the years. Constantly checking up on me, asking me about school more, and trying to understand my constant nightmares. She's a good mom, even when dad died, she kept going through the pain. I'm trying to be like her in a way, but I'm failing, whereas she's succeeded.

I enter my bedroom, sipping on my water. It's hotter than usual, so I pull off my shorts and switch my t-shirt to a tank top. The cool air hitting my skin relaxes me, but I'm still not tired. I want to wake Peeta up at this point, someone to keep me company until I fall asleep. I don't want to be selfish, but Peeta and I have gotten semi close for the past week I've been here.

I open my window and reach across to tap on his. I wait a few seconds before tapping again. I see him stir in his sleep, and his blankets shift. Soon enough, I see his bright blue eyes. He lifts his window up.

"What are you doing awake?" He mumbles, clearly tired.

"I need someone to help me fall back asleep," I confess, motioning for him to come inside.

He looks around his bedroom, and grabs something. I lay back down in my bed and pull the covers over my body. Peeta finally climbs into my room. "Come lay down," I whisper lazily. "You have to be quiet though, my mom is awake downstairs."

He lays down next to me, but doesn't bother to get under the covers. "Are you okay, Katniss?"

I bury my head in my pillow. "Didn't sleep well," I groan. I feel Peeta's arm touch my back and for once I don't jerk myself away from another's touch. "Thanks for coming over."

The feeling of his hand rubbing my back starts to lull me. "Anything for you," He whispers.

I sit up a bit, turning to face him. "Why do you care about me? We barely know each other,"

"I consider us friends, Katniss. Friends care about each other. It's a fantastic concept."

"It's a foreign one to me," I confess, looking away from him again. I can feel the embarrassment rise in my body, waiting for the pitiful looks I'll receive.

Instead, Peeta scoothes down to my level and wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him. My heart starts beating rapidly, scaring me. I don't want to pull away though, so I lay my head on his chest and listen to his own heartbeat.

"You didn't have to do this at all," I whisper, reminding him of the kind deed he's committing. "You could've just ignored me and continued sleeping."

"But I didn't," He replies, moving a strand of hair from my face. "I will always be here for you, as long as you allow it."

"I have problems."

"Want to share?" He asks, not knowing whether he's in the right to even ask. I shake my head, knowing that tears would just fall down my cheeks if I attempted to speak on it. Maybe someday I can tell him, and everyone else.

It's weird how comfortable I can be with Peeta. Any other guy, I would not let hold me like this. I would never contact any one to help me.

"Moving here may have saved me," I whisper so softly, I don't think Peeta even heard me. He doesn't let on that he heard me either. His consistent heartbeat lets me drift off to sleep.

* * *

I woke up the next morning, but Peeta wasn't next to me. Disappointment invades my mind, wishing he was still here. I touch the spot he laid in, reminiscing the sweet conversations of last night.

Instead of staying inside all day, I adventure my way to the lake. I'm glad Peeta and the gang introduced me to this beautiful area. It brings me an inner peace that I never thought I would get.

The water is always cold, but in this heat it's welcomed. I let my legs hit the water, instantly cooling me off.

I hear rustling in the distance, but shrug it off believing it's a squirrel. I keep myself distracted by playing in the water. The noises keep coming though, causing my anxiety to shoot up. I turn around quickly just to make sure that no one is near me. No one is here.

That is, until I see Clove hang upside down on a tree branch.

I yelp, putting my hand on my chest to make sure I'm not dead. She scared me and now my heart is pounding too hard. She smirks at me before flipping herself off the tree, and landing on her feet.

"Don't die on me now," She brushes the leaves off her clothes. "I didn't think I would see anyone here today."

"Me either," I grimace.

She raises her eyebrow. "You don't seem exactly excited to see me…" She walks towards me, slinging a bag over her shoulder. "I thought you were starting to like me." She pouts, poking her bottom lip out.

I stare at her, unsure how to approach this. "You just scared me Clove." I keep it simple, not wanting my words to get misinterpreted.

She folds her arms. She stares at me as if she's trying to understand something. "I'm just messing with you Everdeen," She nudges me. "Now why are you out here?"

I shrug. There wasn't a definite reason. "I like nature."

"I spend every Saturday morning out here," She stares at the sky. "My cousin and I came out here every Saturday since we were kids…" I notice her hesitate to continue, but she does so anyway. "She stopped coming with me when she committed suicide 5 years ago. I never stopped coming though. Didn't want to disappoint her in the after life," She lets out a small laugh.

I didn't expect her to just say all of that to me. The words flew out of her mouth easily, but I knew it wasn't easy for her to say. I don't look at her with pity, but with honor. She's stronger than I will ever be.

"Goes to show you how much trauma the average person can carry."

* * *

 **Another updated delivered your way! Hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. I'll try to pop another chapter in soon!**


	5. Confusion

Chapter Five

Confusion

"Brainless!" I hear Johanna yell down the hallway. I turn around to see her stomping towards me. She grabs my arm, dragging me to an empty classroom. "I need a favor."

"Here I thought you were angry at me," I sit down on one of the desks. Johanna waves her hand as if that concept was foolish.

"There's a party tonight at Glimmer's house," She starts. Glimmer isn't too fond of me. It's probably because I misheard her name and called her Glitter instead. It's not my fault her family gave her a terrible name. "I need you to come with me to spy on Thresh."

"You're crazy Jo," I shake my head. "You two aren't even together and you're spying on him."

My previous assumption about Thresh and Johanna was inaccurate...partly. They've been good friends for the longest time, since kindergarten I believe. Now, Thresh confessed that he had feelings for Jo, but she freaked out. Imagine moving to District 12 and living here for nearly three weeks and there's already drama.

"I don't want him to grind up on another girl," She sneers. She looks around the room, takes a pencil from the teacher's desk, and swiftly snaps it in half. Her cheeks are red, and her body is tensed up.

I would hug her, but she would probably rip my head off. "Jo, I would come but…" Parties completely terrify you. "...Clove invited me to her house earlier." And I wasn't lying. Ever since we ran into each other at the lake, we've started to hang out more.

"Great," She throws her hands up. "That means we can get ready at her house!"

I look at the clock, remembering that class will start soon. "Can we just discuss this at lunch? We have class."

She rolls her eyes at me. "Fine. Let's go." She grumbles, walking out the classroom. I follow, catching up to her. "You should tell Thresh that you like-" She clasps her hand over my mouth and pushes me against the closest wall.

"Not happening." She lets go of me and continues walking.

Sheesh.

* * *

"Where are you going?" Peeta asks me, climbing into my bedroom. I leave my bedroom window cracked now since I don't mind Peeta coming over.

I was in the middle of putting on shoes when he came in. "Me and Clove are gonna hang out," I start to braid my hair.

Peeta walks towards me. "You're not going to the party?"

"Parties aren't...my thing," I look up to him. The sparkle in his blue eyes still get to me. It's not always easy looking at Peeta. When I feel him staring at me, I want to look away, out of pure embarrassment. "Why, are you going?"

He places one hand on my shoulder and uses the other to weave through my freshly braided hair. He unravels the braid, and I start to scowl.

"Your hair is so beautiful…" He says casually causing my scowl to go away. "Sorry about that." He mumbles about unraveling my hair.

I fold my arms and repeat my question. "Are you going, Peeta?"

He nods his head. "Thresh wants me to go with him. Would've rather stayed home though."

I grab a hoodie and wrap it around my waist. "You'll have more fun than I would. You're more sociable," I grab his hand and squeeze it. "Have fun tonight. I got to get to Clove's." I tell him, pushing him towards my window. He's not easy to push, considering he's a guy who is more muscular and taller than me. I could probably beat his ass if I wanted to.

I wave to him when he gets back into his room. Then I turn off the lights.

* * *

Clove and I were watching a horror movie when Johanna scared the life out of us. We were focused on the scene: the girl was hiding under the bed, hoping the killer wouldn't find her. And he wasn't going to until she gasped for air, causing the killer to drag her from under the bed.

This was the same time Johanna made her appearance, sneaking up on us behind the sofa. I screamed, Clove produced one of her knives and threw it in her direction only missing her ear barely.

"Nice throw," Johanna scoffs, pulling the knife out of the wall. "If you're going to attempt murder, hit me actually. Maybe that'll teach me a lesson."

Clove snatches the knife away from her. "Or maybe don't let yourself into the house and sneak up on me. You know I carry these." She takes out a few more knives, flashing them to Johanna.

"Seriously, I nearly had a heart attack," I chime in, slumping on the couch.

"You two can calm down. It's time to get ready, anywho."

Clove squints at her. "For what?"

I shake my head. "Didn't I already say no to this?" I ask her.

"We're going to this party ladies," She says, stripping off her top, leaving herself in a bra. Clove groans at her, turning the tv off.

"We're not in my room and you're taking your clothes off. What the hell are you doing?!" She huffs, signaling us to follow her down the hallway. We go into her room, and Johanna plops her bag on Clove's bed.

"Are we going?" I ask, defeated.

"Of course we are Brainless," She throws a dress at me. "Put that on then let me do your makeup." She demands me.

Clove throws clothes out of her closet, searching for an outfit to wear. I stare at the dress Johanna threw to me. It is a short, black, strapless dress that could possibly show off my nonexistent cleavage. Hesitantly, I start to take off my clothes, putting on the dress.

Johanna looks me up and down. She smirks at me, as she finishes straightening her hair. "I knew I picked the right dress." She pats the bed, wanting me to come sit there. "I want to straighten your hair too real quick," She grabs the flat iron and a comb. She notices that my shoulders are tense, so she taps my shoulders. "Loosen up Brainless."

Clove turns around to us. "What's wrong?" She looks concerned.

"Me and parties don't have the best track record," I mumble, thinking about the last time I went to one.

"Anything particular happen?" Johanna says, nearly burning my scalp with the flat iron.

"My best friend and I…" I start to talk, realizing in mid sentence that I wasn't ready to say the truth. "...had a fight."

Clove looks at me wanting to call me out, but Johanna starts running her mouth. "Seriously Brainless? I can't promise no fights, especially since so many people are going to be drunk, but you don't have to worry about anything bad happening. I mean, you'll be with Clove and I." She does her best at reassuring me.

"Plus, your lord and savior, Peeta will probably be there," Clove mentions. I roll my eyes at her, grabbing a water bottle from her desk. "What? Aren't you two banging?"

I choke on the water. "Um, hello?!" I ask, trying to understand where that implication came from.

She laughs at me. "It was a joke my dear," She puts on her shoes. "Although your reaction does make me suspicious."

"We're just friends."

Johanna puts down the flat iron. "Brainless, the way Peeta looks at you-"

I cut her off. "Can a guy and a girl be friends without people forcing a romance onto them," I scowl at them. "He doesn't look at me in that sense."

Clove and Johanna look at each other, shrugging.

"Whatever you say, Katniss."

* * *

 **Hello everyone, MAC here with another chapter. I really hope you all are enjoying these chapters! Thank you for the follows and reviews, they are big motivators. Anyway, next chapter is the actual party...I wonder what mayhem is going to occur ;) Enjoy, enjoy !**


	6. A Night to Remember

Chapter Six

A Night to Remember

Loud. The music is so loud. I can feel the vibrations from the speaker flow through my body. The house is bigger than mine and Peeta's combined. The living room is filled with drunk teenagers, attempting to shake their thang on the floor. My eyes look around the room, and don't see neither Thresh or Peeta.

"I need a drink," Clove says, grabbing my wrist. She drags me to the kitchen and sees someone working the bar. "Two tequila shots."

"Oh, I don't want any," I shake my head.

She raises her eyebrow. "You sure?"

Was I? The last time I drank alcohol, I got drugged, but Clove wouldn't do that to me? Unless this is all just some big conspiracy to ruin my life.

Johanna pops up behind us. "Oh no, you're taking that shot," She huffs. "Make an extra one," she tells the bartender, as she sits next to Clove. Her boobs are nearly bursting out of her chest and she doesn't seem to care. I watch as she scans the room, clearly looking for Thresh.

The bartender puts our shots in front of us. Clove and Johanna immediately grab theirs. I eye mine for a second. Maybe one shot will be okay. It's clearly not laced. I reach for mine, and together we all knock it back. The liquid burns my throat causing me to cough roughly.

Johanna pats my back. "Hey, you took that like a champ!" Her hand leaves my back and grabs my hand. "Come on, let's go on an adventure."

She leads the way and Clove follows. Pushing past drunk people is not pleasant. A couple of people have thrown up on the floor causing me to gag. Couples are hooking up in the middle of the hallway which wouldn't bother me as much if they weren't in our way. Eventually, we make it to the back of the house where less people have chosen to reside.

Johanna let's go of my hand but continues to scan for Thresh. "Where the hell is he?" She says loudly.

I turn around towards the corner and see a couple of guys hanging out. Thresh is one of them.

I tap on Johanna's shoulder and point towards them. "Go get em," I push her in their direction.

I watch as Johanna approaches the group and slides next to Thresh. Thresh seems surprised that she's there, but happy. I hope Johanna just confesses to him already. She's clearly smitten.

Clove burps, interrupting my thoughts. "Love. You gotta _love_ it." She sighs. I shrug my shoulders.

"Let's get more drinks," I suggest and Clove nods in response.

* * *

A few more shots did it to me and Clove. We're sitting on the stairs, watching the rest of the party go on. She giggles as she watches one of the party goers fall flat on their face.

"You like anyone?" She asks me out of the blue. I look at her, genuinely confused. Did I imply this somehow?

I hesitate before shaking my head. "I barely know anyone here."

She scoffs, and takes a swig of her drink. "You do know someone in particular," She hints at me.

"Are you hitting on me?"

She bursts out into laughter, falling down on her knees. "No wonder Johanna calls you Brainless," She continues laughing and I feel my face turn red. "I was talking about Peeta."

If my face wasn't red before, it definitely is now. Thoughts fill my mind, thoughts that never occurred before. That, or I just shoved in the back of my mind. "We're friends."

"Really now?" She lifts herself up from the floor. "So you wouldn't be jealous if Glimmer was basically groping him right now?" Her head jerks in a certain direction and my eyes follow it.

For the first time, I see Peeta on the dance floor. He is with Glimmer, who keeps touching his muscles. I tense up without knowing why. The fact that Glimmer doesn't even like me and the fact that she is talking to MY friend is pissing me off.

Before I know it, I'm stumbling down the stairs trying to make sure I don't fall from the amount of alcohol I've consumed. I hear Clove call my name, but I ignore her. I almost lose my footing but I compose myself. I make my way towards them. I step in front of Glimmer, inserting myself in the middle of them.

"Hey," I lean close to him so he can hear me. The music seems like it's just getting louder, literally bouncing off the walls.

He smiles at me, seemingly forgetting about Glimmer, who is pushing on my shoulder. "Didn't expect you to be here," His eyes gleam.

"Johanna and Clove dragged me out here," I explain to him. I didn't want it to seem like I lied to him. "You wanna hang out?" I look over towards the staircase where Clove has her eyes on me. I'm sure she's enjoying this scene.

"You know that Peeta and I were in a conversation right?" Glimmer pushes me to the side, getting in his view again. I scowl at her, ready to knock this girl off her feet.

"It's okay Glimmer," Peeta takes a sip of his drink. "I had to talk to Katniss anyway," He motions for me to lead the way, so I grab his hand and move towards the stairs again.

"You saved me from a brutal conversation," Peeta sighs once again drinking. "I didn't want to be rude to her, but I just didn't care about her favorite reality shows."

I laugh at the thought of their lackluster conversation. We reach the top of the stairs, but Clove is missing. I look around for her, but she simply vanished.

I touch his arm letting him know that I'm glad he's with me. I'm not usually open with affection towards my friends, but I want to let him know that he makes me feel comfortable. Plus, this alcohol has done wonders to my mind.

He brushes my hair out of my face, "You look beautiful," He whispers in my ear. Even though our surroundings are loud, I hear him clear as day.

"Really?" I ask for confirmation. But I shouldn't have. I can see it in the way he looks at me that he's genuine.

"You really don't know the effect you have on people."

And I truly don't. All my life I've been seen as invisible, no one acknowledged me. I don't want to seem desperate for attention because I really am not. I didn't even think I could trust again, but I was proven wrong.

When Peeta leans in to kiss me, I don't stop him.

But someone else does.

"Hey Catnip."

* * *

 **Cliffhangers are great. Not really, but I did want to leave it on a suspenseful note. I will hopefully have a chapter by either tomorrow night, or Wednesday. Thanks for the follows and reviews, I really do appreciate it. I also noticed that my story has over 500 views in total, which I think is amazing! I really do enjoy writing this story, and I pray that you all are in for the ride. See you guys soon! :)**


	7. Anxious Awakening

Chapter Seven

Anxious Awakening

Fear. Absolute fear. Devastation. Anger. Horror.

These words constantly flash through my mind. I hold on to Peeta, trying to keep my balance. I'm shaking. I feel like a deer in headlights.

He stands in front of us, with his arms folded. "What's going on here?" He examines Peeta and I. The nerves are getting to me. I want to throw up and it's clearly not because of the alcohol.

I lean against Peeta, "Please take me home," I whisper in his ear. I don't want confrontation with him. I don't even know why he's here in District 12.

He walks up to Peeta. "Hey, I'm Gale," He reaches his hand out to shake Peeta's hand. When Peeta doesn't budge, his expression darkens.

He turns to face me, touching my face. I slap his hand away from me, tears running down my face.

"You wanna go for round two, Catnip?" He winks at me.

I can feel my shell forming around me. I can't be near him anymore. I'm about to break down. Letting go of Peeta, I run down the stairs. I don't look back despite hearing Peeta call my name. I run through the crowded dance floor, searching for any familiar face. My anxiety, combined with the alcohol, is causing me to feel dizzy. I could pass out on the middle of this floor, but I keep pushing.

Eventually, I see Clove sitting in a chair texting. I grab her shoulder causing her to jump. I scared her.

I'm not aware that I'm sobbing until I feel my lungs gasping for air. Clove's face goes from shock to concern. "Katniss, what-?"

"Take me home," I gasp out, trying to breathe. But I barely can. I'm having a panic attack. "Clove, I can't be here." I barely get these words out my mouth.

She gets up instantly and holds on to me. She uses one hand to text someone, before she helps me walk outside. It wasn't easy getting out there. We had to weave our way through the crowd, and I was on the brink of passing out. Once we get outside, she has me sit down on the ground.

"Put your head in between your knees and breathe, Katniss," She instructs me as she rubs my back. "My friend Marvel is going to drive us back to my house." She explains to me, hoping that will calm me down.

After what feels like forever, a man pulls up in a truck. Clove helps me stand up, and takes me into the car, laying me down in the back seat.

I nearly lose my mind.

It only brings back the memories of that night. Without thinking, I scratch Clove trying to defend myself.

She shrieks, clutching her arm. "Holy shit," She curses.

Realizing what I did, I quickly come back to my sense. I start apologizing to her, but she just gets in the seat next to me and closes the door.

The car ride is silent. Marvel doesn't really ask about the situation even though I know he wants to be nosey. Thankfully, Clove's house isn't far from Glimmer's, so we get there in 10 minutes. Once again, Clove helps me out of the car and into her house.

It's nearly 2 in the morning. I can't drive myself home because I'm still drunk nor do I want to intrude in Clove's home.

She senses what I'm thinking. "You're staying here tonight," She says slowly, making it clear to me. "You're drunk and I can tell when someone doesn't want to be alone."

Clove turns on her bedroom light, and leads me to her bed. She has me lay down in it while she changes her clothes to a tank top and sweatpants. She rummages through her closet to get me some clothes as well.

She throws them next to me. "Here, I'll go into the bathroom while you change. I need to find a couple of band aids anyway," She holds onto the arm that I injured earlier. She walks out of the room, leaving me alone.

I quickly peel the dress off, and replace it with a T-shirt and shorts. Sitting on her bed, I can't help but relive the fear that ran through my body tonight. Why was he here? Is he going to hurt me again? What's the deal…?

Clove stands in the doorway, staring at me. Her arms are folded and her expression is blank. "We gotta talk…" She says, walking towards the bed. "But, I rather sleep first." She gets into the bed, throwing the blankets over her body.

Sleep doesn't come quickly for me. I keep thinking about Gale. Then Peeta. I left him with Gale who probably fed him all sorts of lies. He implied that I was a slut in front of Peeta. I should've exposed him for being a rapist, but I was honestly too scared. I still am.

Clove snores next to me, letting me know that she's sound asleep. I slowly crawl out of the bed, hoping I don't wake her up. I look for my phone on her desk. When I pick it up, I see that I have so many text messages.

 **Johanna [1:37 am]**

 _Hey where r u?_

 **Johanna [1:40 am]**

 _Don't worry about bringing me home. Thresh and I…I'll explain later._

 **Johanna [1:45 am]**

 _Uhm..peeta is looking for you? Can you call him so he stops bothering me?_

Surely, Peeta had been calling me. 10 times to be exact. I'm half tempted to call him back, but I'm really embarrassed. I don't want to talk about this. I just want to bring back my walls and ignore it.

"Katniss," Clove mumbles into her pillow. "Get back in the bed and go to sleep."

I listen to her, setting my phone back on her desk. Tomorrow is a new day.

* * *

The smell of bacon and eggs wake me up the next morning. Clove sits next to me eating. When she sees my open eyes, she grabs the plate next to her and hands it to me. "Morning."

"Hey," I take the plate from her. Taking a bite of bacon, the rich taste overwhelms my mouth. I chew slowly before swallowing.

We sit in silence while we finish our breakfast. After we're done, she grabs our plates and puts them on her desk. Her bedroom door is open, so she goes to close it. "Let's talk," She says, locking the door.

"About?" I ask, trying to avoid the topic.

She folds her arms. "We're not going to play dumb Katniss. What happened last night? Did Peeta do something to you?"

I shake my head. "No, Peeta is fine…" I trail off. I've never talked to anyone about this. I can already feel the tears forming. "A few years ago, my best friend hurt me in the worst way possible. Last night, I saw him again and I wasn't fully prepared for it."

"What did he do?"

I take a deep breathe, trying to lessen my state of panic. Then I realize that I can trust Clove since she's confided in me about her cousin's death.

"He drugged me and then sexually assaulted me," I confess, looking away from her.

The room is quiet for a bit. Clove, for once, is surprised by something. "And this dude is here? In 12?" She asks to confirm. I nod my head. "I gotta find my knives." She starts searching her room but I stand up to stop her.

"You're not going to hurt him and get yourself arrested." I place my hand on her shoulder preventing her from moving.

"Like hell I won't! You think if I don't do anything now, that Peeta won't do something about this later?"

I sigh. "He won't find out about it. Not until Gale goes back to District Four."

I'm grateful for Clove, truly. I know she won't tell anyone this, but I know this is hard for her to even keep to herself. I know she will though.

She throws her hands in the air. "Well, what do you want to do Katniss?"

Truthfully, I don't know. I can confront it, hide, or pretend it never happened. Peeta will have questions: about the situation and about the potential kiss that could've happened. I don't want to answer any of those questions. It's easier to write it off as we were both intoxicated and clearly were acting off the liquor, but I know that's not the case.

I want to hide, but not from Gale. I'm tired of hiding from him, but he causes me so much pain that I know I would not be able to handle a one on one. He's dangerous as well. Clove wouldn't let me near him, even if he was at his weakest.

"I want to go home," I answer truthfully. It's not the answer she wants, but it's what I'm willing to give at the moment. "But, I know we have plans with the group later."

"We can ditch," She says, taking her phone out ready to text the group chat.

I shake my head. "No, we're going. I don't want to worry anybody."

Clove grabs her wallet and coat. "Look, you can go back to your house, but I'm coming with you. Let's go."

And that's exactly what we do.

* * *

 **Hello, I don't really have much to say here...but I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. Make sure to leave reviews and hit that follow button if you really like this story! I shall update in a few days, so keep your eyes peeled. Enjoy!**


	8. The Day After

Chapter Eight

The Day After

"I want to go to the park," I hear Prim whine to our mother. Clove and I had just walked into my house when we saw my mom and Prim in the living room. "My friend Rue wants to hang out and I don't want to stay inside all day."

My mom has her feet on the coffee table with the newspaper in her hands. She's so old school sometimes. She peeks over the paper and notices Clove and I. "Hello Katniss, and…"

"I'm Clove," She introduces herself, waving to my mom.

"Nice to meet you Clove," My Mom gives Clove a soft smile. She turns her head towards me. "Katniss, would you mind bringing Prim to the park?"

I want to say no, but Prim stares at me with her puppy dog eyes. I don't have many weak points, but she's one of them. "Does it have to be now? I'm a bit tired."

My mom puts down the newspaper and stands up. She walks towards me, inspecting my appearance. "It's fine, I'll take her. Go get dressed Prim," She commands her. Prim simply nods before skipping up the stairs. My mom folds her arms. "You're wearing the same outfit from yesterday, and I expected you to come home last night. I want to assume you lost track of time at Clove's house, but my gut tells me you went out. I'm going to ignore my gut this time and this time only, Katniss." She tilts her head to the side trying to make sure I understand her.

I nod my head. She smiles at me before turning around and leaving the room.

"I'm supposed to tell her when I'm going out…" I tell Clove. I forgot to inform my mom since I stopped going out since the incident. At least she's giving me a pass this time. "Come on, I need a nap." We climb up the stairs to get to my room.

As soon as I get in my room, I make sure my window is closed and my curtains are shut. I don't want Peeta to visit today. It's hard to confront him and I'm clearly not ready for it.

After that issue is settled, I let myself fall face first on my bed. The soft mattress causes me to bounce a little, but once I'm settled I feel my body relax.

"It's pretty cozy in here," Clove says leaning on her desk. "I'm pretty sure you're right across from Peeta's room."

I bury my head in my pillow. "Yes, now stop talking."

She softly laughs. Both of our phones vibrate. I assume it's our group text, so I ignore it and let Clove deal with it. After all, my eyes are closed and I'm trying to get a couple more z's in.

"Madge wants us to hang out at the lake later," Clove informs me. "I told her I rather go see a movie."

I grab my blanket and force it over my head. "I don't care what we do. As long as I can sleep for a bit, I'm good."

"I'm going on your laptop," She announces to me. I just groan into my pillow.

Did I mention how much I love sleep?

* * *

"It's kind of weird how you can just climb into here," I hear Clove say.

I'm coming out of my sleep coma, very very slowly. Who the hell is she talking to?

"Our houses are really close together Clove," A guy speaks. My guess is that Clove is talking to Peeta. Suddenly, I'm a nervous wreck. I don't know why he's here now, but I was going to see him eventually. "Anyway, we gotta leave soon."

"Yeah yeah," I hear her footsteps come towards me. Her hands press against my arm as she lightly shakes me. I slap her hand away.

"I'm awake. Leave me alone." I groan.

Clove sighs. "We have to be at the theatre in 15 minutes Katniss. Get the hell up. It's time to be social." She grabs my leg and starts to drag me out of the bed.

I try to grab on to something, anything that would keep Clove from dragging me off this bed, but it's too late. My butt hits the floor and pain fills my body. "I want to punch you." I rub my back trying to reduce the pain. I look up to see Clove smirking at me and to see Peeta folding his arms.

"Let me change my clothes and then I'll drive us there. Just get out of my room," I tell them.

Clove rolls her eyes, but Peeta just nods. "I'll meet you two outside. I have to grab my phone." Peeta says, climbing through the window and into his room.

Clove walks towards my door. "Does he sneak in here at night?" She teases me. I feel my face turn red. She's lucky I won't punch her.

When she finally exits the room, I close the door behind me. I put on a tank top, a hoodie, some jeans, and sandals before grabbing my purse and phone. I walk down the stairs and swing by the kitchen. I grab my mother's notepad and write a message telling her I'll be back tonight.

Clove and Peeta are already outside by my car. "I don't know where I'm going but I'm sure you guys will tell me." I say slipping into the driver's seat. Clove gets in on the passenger seat which leaves Peeta in the back. With that, I start to drive.

* * *

"Hey Peeta," Delly greets him by wrapping her arm around his. "Did you go to the party last night? I heard it was crowded."

Delly is a very hands on type of girl, but it still rubs me the wrong way. Instead of watching them, Madge draws my attention by walking right next to me.

"Hey girl," She greets me, putting her phone in her pocket. "I didn't see you at the party last night."

I didn't even realize she had gone. Maybe Clove, Johanna, and I should have checked with her. "You should've texted us that you were coming."

"Oh, it was last minute. Glimmer and I live next to each other anyway," She shrugs her shoulders. "I came halfway through just to talk to a few people. Johanna saw me."

We walk to the booth and buy our tickets. I hang back waiting for Madge to finish getting hers before continuing our conversation. "Clove and I were upstairs for half the night. We were definitely not sober." I laugh.

"At least you and Clove had a good time. Jo and Thresh did too...but you didn't hear that from me," She hands her ticket to the man, who then tells us which theatre to go into. "The word on the street is that Peeta and you had some alone time." She winks at me.

I shake my head, hoping to divert this attention on me. "I think you heard wrong."

She pouts her lips. "You're no fun," She folds her arms as we enter the dark theatre. She turns around to the rest of the group. "Hey, let's all sit in the back row." She walks up the stairs, rushing to reserve the seats for us. I end up stuck between Peeta and Madge. Delly is next to Peeta, still being a little too touchy feely for me.

"Katniss," I hear Peeta whisper in my ear. His hot breath against my ear causes me to shiver, but I have to play it cool. "I think we should talk."

"About?" I try to avoid the convo. I shove some of Madge's popcorn in my mouth. She doesn't even mind as she shoves the box towards me.

"Where did you go last night?" His hand finds his way towards my knee. I swear I see Delly glaring at us, but I just shake my head.

"Me and Clove went to her house," I stuff more popcorn in my mouth. "We got tired of the party so we left."

He turns around in his seat to face me better. "Why did you run away from me?"

I look him at him. Even though it's dark, I can clearly see his eyes. "I didn't want to bother with the guy so I removed myself from the situation."

"Did you-"

"Leave it alone Peeta," I hiss. I don't mean to be so harsh, but I don't want to even think about this right now. "I'm sorry, but we're about to watch a movie and I just want to have a good time with my friends. Just relax."

He is quiet for a second, but eventually just nods. His hand leaves my knee and instead reaches for my hand to squeeze it. I won't lie, I wish he would keep his hand entangled within mine. And he does until Delly opens her mouth again.

"Peeta, before the movie starts do you want to get some more snacks?" She asks him. I tune them out, not interested in hearing her attempt to flirt with him. Instead, Madge and I bond over the fact that we don't particularly enjoy popcorn but will still stuff it in our mouths. I haven't had the opportunity to get to know Madge better, but I can already tell that we have more in common than it appears.

We're watching a horror movie and it's not really my flavor, but it doesn't terrify me. The movie does in fact scare Delly a bit too much. She keeps jumping and yelping, constantly grabbing on to Peeta. I can tell he's getting annoyed because I am too.

"Is she always like this?" I whisper to Madge motioning towards Delly. She giggles, shaking her head.

"She's just being performative, trying to get Peeta's attention. She's always had a little thing for him, but Peeta keeps turning her down. Says they're just good friends. They grew up together."

That was a lot of information that I didn't think I should have processed at once. I turn my head towards Peeta, examining the situation in front of me. He's focused on the movie instead of Delly who is talking his head off. I scoot myself towards his side and let my head rest on his shoulder. Madge looks at me in shock, but a soft smile quickly replaces her expression. Peeta doesn't move me away from him, but instead positions himself so that I'm comfortable. I can tell Delly is a bit irritated but I'm not trying to stare her directly in the eye.

Sometimes I wonder what it is about Peeta that causes me to...feel? I mean I'm close to the girls, other than Delly, but I don't truly feel the height of my emotions until I'm with Peeta, or until I see him in a flirtatious situation with another girl. The truth is, i didn't understand the connection between us, but I'm happy with where we're at. I don't want to ruin this friendship.

* * *

 **Hey guys, I really meant to update quicker, but I was busy this weekend. I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Thanks for the follows and reviews! I truly appreciate it guys. Anyway, I will try to pop out another chapter in like a day or two. Make sure to hit that follow button, and if you follow make sure to leave a review! See you later :)**


	9. Friends?

Chapter Nine

Friends?

"I want to know what happened between you and Thresh," Clove demands Johanna. Clove, Johanna, Madge, and I went to the bathroom after the movie, leaving Delly, Thresh, and Peeta with each other. "I saw you two touching each other in the theatre."

"For one, that sounds way more inappropriate than it actually was," Johanna starts to wash her hands in the sink. "Besides, did you not see Katniss literally cuddling Peeta?" She tries to change the subject.

"Yes, but we asked about you and Thresh. We'll deal with Katniss later." Madge chimes in, taking a paper towel from the dispenser.

Johanna sighs, pushing herself onto the sink's counter. "I basically admitted to him that I liked him as well. That's it. We're not together or anything."

All three of us tilt our heads, looking at Johanna in awe. "Are you kidding me?" Madge flings her arms in the air.

"You like each other and you're not even dating?" I add on.

"I could throw a knife at your head." Clove rolls her eyes.

Johanna just shrugs. "We're happy."

"Well, let's get back outside." Madge says pushing the bathroom door open. One by one, we all leave the bathroom. We find the rest of our group near the snacks.

"What to do now?" Johanna asks. "I for one still have energy."

Clove yawns, stretching her arms in the air. "I clearly don't."

"I'm going home to finish homework," I tell them, grabbing my car keys out of my purse. "Riveting, I get it, but I know my mom will bug me about it…"

"Can I ride back with you?" Peeta asks me, putting his jacket on. I nod, not realizing the implications. For one, most of the girls think we have a thing going on, which is quite possible. Second, I still don't want to confess and tell him the real reason I left him alone last night. I don't want to relive it again.

Alright, well let's go," He wraps his arm around my shoulder. He turns back to the group. "See you later guys."

We walk to my car in a comfortable silence. Any conversation we may have clearly is reserved for private. When we get to my car, I shrug his arm off me and unlock my door. I settle into my seat, put the belt on, and start up the car. Peeta is fiddling with his phone as I drive away.

Silence still. At this point, it's making me antsy. I don't want to break the silence, but I will if it eases me nerves.

As I'm about to improvise a conversation starter, Peeta grunts. His phone is now in his pocket and he's staring straight ahead. "Why do you avoid me?"

"Huh?" I wasn't expecting that question. I don't know what I was even expecting.

He shakes his head. "I ask, you avoid, we leave it alone, you show me affection. Do you see the problem?"

Since we're stopped at a red light, I turn my head towards him. "Is this why you got in the car with me? To argue?" A car beeps behind me, reminding me to drive forward.

"No. I just want answers."

I sigh, not knowing what to say. I just focus on the road ahead of me, avoiding the bumps that could ruin my tires.

"Kat-"

"Not everything is your business, Peeta," I snap at him. I take a breath, realizing that my eyes are starting to water. I refuse to cry in front of him. "I get it. You want to understand the situation. I would want to, too. Not everyone is ready to reveal their deepest, darkest secrets to others. Leave it alone."

Silence again. It's better for me right now. I can't tell him about Gale. I refuse to right now. All for him to just think I'm some slut, if he hasn't already assumed that.

"You know what? You're right. I'm just pushing," He sounds genuine. He always is.

I don't respond to him. I just pull the car into the driveway and turn it off. I lean back into my seat to rest myself.

"Let's just forget about it right now. Are you coming inside or not?" I pick up my keys and my phone. When he nods, I open the car door. My front door is already unlocked, so I just breeze past it. Mom and Prim are home this time because Prim is practically glued to the tv.

"Hey Prim. Is Mom cooking?" I ask her as I pass by.

She keeps staring at the show she's watching. "Leftovers." Is all she mumbles to me. I roll my eyes. I motion for Peeta to follow me as I head for the stairs. My room door is open, but as soon as Peeta enters, I shut it with my foot. I grab my book bag and grab my calculus textbook.

"I was serious about doing homework," I notify him. I bring my book to my desk and set it down there. "This class is killing me and I don't need my grades slipping."

I open the textbook and sit down on my chair. I have pencil and paper to complete my work, but I'm lacking severe motivation.

Peeta, sitting on my bed, stares at me. Probably because I'm repeatedly hitting my pencil on my desk. "You need help?"

"Maybe." I bite my lip, trying to focus on the math problem. I hear him walk behind me. Peeta is so loud, even when he's trying not to be. I've noticed it everytime he climbs into my room, especially when he thinks I'm sleeping, he'll try to tip toe so he doesn't wake me up. He fails each time.

I feel his chest against my back. He rests his chin on my shoulder, observing the work I did so far. I can feel my heart pounding. He can just easily make me nervous. I don't know how to act around him sometimes. He starts talking about the problem, offering me different solutions. I'm trying to keep up with him, but I eventually grow frustrated.

"I'm over this," I close the book and throw my pencil across the room. I stand up, grab Peeta's hand, and drag him to my bed. I rather lay down and relax with him, rather than work math problems. I stretch as soon as I lay on the bed. Peeta doesn't immediately lay down until I throw my legs on him, forcing him down. "Relax."

"Your feet are holding me hostage." He says, gently grabbing my leg. I start to pull my leg from him, but he takes control and starts to tickle me. My giggles escape my mouth as he launches his attack. We end up wrestling on my bed. I'm a bit stronger than I think since I'm able to pin him down.

I smile, happy with my accomplishment. I lean down to whisper in his ear, but he just flips us over, causing me to yelp. "Alright you win this time," I gasp for air.

"Do I get a prize?" He teases me.

"I think not."

We stop and stare at each other, realizing the position we're in. I don't know what to do since he's on top of me. I'm not panicking like I would usually do. Instead it's actually comforting to stare into his eyes.

He lets go of my arms and slides off me. He lays next to me, but grabs my waist to pull me closer to him. We face each other, my hand touching his chest.

"I knew Gale...he's not a good person," I mumble to him. "I will explain to you soon. I promise."

He doesn't say anything. He just uses his hand to move the hair away from my face. He leans in and presses his lips against my forehead. "Take your time Katniss." He rubs my back.

I move my head against his chest. I don't know what we're doing right now, but I know we both are enjoying this moment.

* * *

 **I've been a bit busy, and very tired. I was writing yesterday but I fell asleep in the process. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm trying to slowly set up Peeta and Katniss's inevitable relationship so be patient with me. See you guys later!**


	10. Irritation

Chapter Ten

Irritation

I wake up to Peeta's soft snores. I didn't realize we let the time go by like this. I reach for my phone to check the time. It's nearly 2 in the morning. I don't know whether to wake him up, or just go back to sleep. His arms grip my waist and he pulls me closer to him. I don't know what to do, but if I wake him up, I lose the warmth he gives me.

If my mom caught us, I would seriously be grounded. A boy in my bed is a scandal waiting to happen. Mom isn't the strictest parent out there, but she has her reservations about boys. I haven't talked to her about guys since Gale and I were friends. Even then, she didn't allow Gale in the house unless she was there to supervise.

I place my hand on his arm, feeling how muscular he truly is. It makes sense. He helps his dad with the bakery all the time, probably lifting heavy products all the time.

Eventually, I decide to wake him up, knowing that he should go back to his house. I gently touch his face, running my hand up and down his cheek. He starts to stir in his sleep, but doesn't immediately wake up. "Peeta," I whisper to him. "You gotta wake up. It's late."

His eyes flutter open. He covers his mouth to yawn before pulling his other hand off me. "Do you want me to leave?" He asks. I shake my head.

"I rather you not, but I also rather not get caught by my mom…"

He nods his head, sitting up on the bed. He leans over the edge of the bed before promping himself up. I get myself up too, not ready to let him go. I touch his arm, and he immediately pulls me in for a hug. "I'll see you later Katniss," He lets go of me and makes his way to the window. I watch him leave, and I feel the sadness creep on me as I watch him leave. I throw myself back into my bed, trying to relax myself yet again.

I stare at the wall, contemplating what I want to do when I wake up. I might take a day to myself to forget what happened on Friday. I don't know if Gale is staying in town for a bit, or if he followed me here. Why is he in District 12? I've avoided him ever since that incident, and he hasn't caused me any more problems other than the trauma. For the first time in forever, I've been happy. Not truly happy, but better than before. I was hidden in a shell with no friends. Now I have a big friend group who actually care about me…except for Delly. I think she's jealous of Peeta and I's fast friendship. She hides behind that happy go lucky personality of hers, but I can see through her.

I feel myself drifting back to sleep, wanting Peeta back with me. Sleeping with him has given me the best rest of my life. I'm used to nightmares consuming me, but he somehow prevents them. I don't think he understands how much I appreciate him.

* * *

Nothing interesting happens on Sunday. The girls want me to come to the lake, but I opted out to be by myself. Instead, Prim and I spent the day watching corny movies together. Sometimes I feel like I don't spend enough time with my little sister, but it's kind of complicated. When we have our days together, it makes me happy knowing that we can rely on each other.

The next day, I arrive at school a bit too early, so I sit in the courtyard by myself, texting Madge. I'm sitting at a table with my legs crossed. I hear someone sit across from me. I don't get the chance to look up before I hear her voice.

"Morning Katniss," Delly grins in my face. "How are you?" She takes her notepad out of her bag and a pen.

I shrug my shoulders. "I'm not really a morning person, so I'm pretty irritated right now." I answer her honestly. I rather be in bed still, but I know my mom would have something to say about it.

She blankly stares at me, shaking her head a little before her previous expression returns. "Sorry to hear that," She offers to me. "I was wondering if we could talk about...one of our friends?"

"Whom?"

"Johanna," She says. That takes me off guard. I thought she was going to stake her claim on Peeta. "I heard something happened between her and Thresh?"

"She hasn't been too open with the details," I inform her, watching her write in her notepad. I'm assuming she's doing last minute homework so I don't bother asking. "She'll tell us when she feels like it. I haven't known her for that long, but she does like to move at her own pace."

Delly nods her head. "Well, I have to agree with that. I've known her and Peeta the longest. Let me tell you, Johanna had only gotten wilder. Peeta has always been the same."

"What do you mean? About Peeta at least." I ask her.

She taps her pen on the table. "He's just always been this kind and humble person. He always likes to make people feel welcomed. A lot of people misinterpret his kindness for...other intimate activities."

I raise my eyebrow. Where is she going with this?

"You two have become fast friends, and I think that's just great Katniss," She reaches across the table to touch my hand. "I just hope you haven't mistaken his kindness for flirting."

I pull my hand away from her, not enjoying the sudden contact and the bullshit she's spitting. "Thanks for your concern Delly, but I think I understand Peeta and his intentions." I don't want my face to give away my clear irritation. Delly's smile fades, not satisfied with my answer. She puts away her notepad, and starts to stand up.

"Well, I have to go. I have a student council meeting to attend. See you at lunch, Katniss." She waves and practically skips away from me.

I grab my phone and start typing to Madge.

 **Katniss [7:26 am]**

 _Y is Delly so weird?_

* * *

It's the period before lunch. Johanna is passed out on her desk, when she should be working on her assignment. I'm barely listening to Mr. Heavensbee drone on and on about atoms.

Glimmer is in the front row, with her two friends, Cashmere and Enobaria. They think they're the best at the school, mostly because they are all richer than half the students here combined. They're not intimidating, except for Enobaria who literally filed her teeth so that she appears to have fangs. Weird.

"Katniss Everdeen?" Mr. Heavensbee calls my name to come grab my test. I hesitatingly get up, pushing Johanna awake in the process. She snorts, and jumps up in her chair immediately. I walk down the row, before reaching his desk. He motions for me to come near him. He flashes the test to me, and I see a 79 in bright red. It's better than I thought it was. "I feel like you could do better than this. It's not bad, but you're nearly there. Come to my tutoring sessions on Wednesday. It'll help you." He tells me before handing me the test.

"I'll think about it," I mumble to him, before heading back to my seat.

I trip over something, but catch myself before I fall face down on the floor. I look behind me to get a clue on what caused me to trip and realize Glimmer is giggling with her little clique. I turn around and walk to her. I lean down to whisper in her ear. "I don't think you want to play this game."

She scoffs at me, turning her head to Enobaria. "Katniss, I think it's you who doesn't want to play. Now go away, you're ruining vision." She waves me off. I don't know what to do, and there's not much I can really do right now. We're in a classroom, so I'll have to settle this another time. I turn around, making sure she doesn't try to trip me again and return to my seat. Johanna, barely awake still, looks at me sleepily.

"What's your problem?" She yawns, examining my face. I shake my head, not trying to think about Glimmer. Instead, I think about hanging with my friends at lunch. My thoughts are disturbed when I finally hear the bell ring, dismissing us to lunch. Johanna and I quickly pack our bags and head out the door before the rest of the class rushes to the cafeteria.

We take the shortcut, cutting across the courtyard to avoid the people taking the main route. Johanna lives for lunch, and always wants to be the first one in line.

"You better walk faster Brainless," She commands me, out walking me. "I want to get to the tater tots first before they run out. And you know how I feel about some tater tots."

I roll my eyes, trying to keep up with her. She's more serious about food than I will ever be. When we reach the cafeteria, she runs straight to the line, and I walk straight to our group's table. Clove is already there, unpacking her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She looks up to me, and gives me a soft smile. "Hey girl," Clove greets me, but looks at me funnily. "Where's your food?" She asks as I sit down next to her.

"I'm not feeling too hungry," I lie to her, feeling my stomach grumbling. Hopefully the noise in the cafeteria prevents Clove from hearing it. "Anyway, I've been dealing with too much today. If it wasn't waking up Jo after every class, then it was Glimmer being a bitch."

Clove bites into her sandwich while she listens to me. "Ahh, the classic case of Glimmer. Once she has you in her sights, she's relentless. Unless you put her in her place, of course."

"And how would I do that?" I wonder, looking around for inspiration.

Clove shrugs. "She left me alone when I brought up my knife collection. She's a very fragile person."

Before I even respond, I see Madge and Peeta walking towards the table. They sit down with their trays, Madge across from me and Peeta next to me. "Hey guys," Madge says, looking at me. Clove attempts to say hi with her food stuffed in her mouth. "Clove, learn how to swallow." Madge says, clearly disgusted with her.

"That's hilarious because my ex boyfriend told me the exact same thing." She blurts out with no shame.

"Clove…." I wrinkle my nose, not liking how blunt she is. Madge feels the same way, but Peeta just laughs.

"Madge, you should be used to this by now," He takes his drink and sips on it. "Clove and Johanna are the crudest people in the school. Worse than the guys."

Madge shrugs. "You know my dad instilled those prim and proper lessons into me as a child. I'm still not used to it, no matter how much I love Clove and Jo."

"Good afternoon," Delly smiles, sitting next to Madge. "I just got out of the worst meeting for the varsity Cheer squad. I have to make some cuts before the next practice." She rants quickly, trying to get rid of her frustration.

"I'm glad we asked Delly," Johanna appears with Thresh, those two sit across from each other. After Thresh gives her a stern look, she sighs. "I'm just messing with you. Must be tough." She offers

Delly's eyes brighten up. "It really is. Plus I have to balance so many other extracurriculars, it's really ridiculous."

I smirk. "You're really going for that well rounded student that all the colleges want." I comment.

She doesn't respond, and instead opts for taking a bite of the chicken on her plate. Doesn't bother me.

"Katniss, what are you doing later?" Peeta asks me, poking my side.

Johanna waves her hand in the air. "Oh no, you two aren't ditching us tonight. We're all going to the lake and hanging out as a group." She folds her arms.

"Don't mind Jo. You know how frustrated she gets." Thresh says, grabbing her hand and rubbing it. "We haven't all hung out together since Saturday and she's having an existential crisis."

"So what if I am?" She steals a fry off his plate.

Peeta puts his hands up, surrendering himself to Johanna. "If you insist."

"Peeta, can you stop by my house before we go?" Delly asks him. "I've been meaning to give you back your jacket…" She glances at me for a split second, before returning her eyes to him. "I mean, you don't have to but I would prefer if you did today." She keeps rambling on.

"Sure Dels, but I'll just come right after school. I'm pretty sure we're not going until later, and I have to study." He tells her.

"We could study together?" She tries hard to get him to stay over, but he shakes his head.

"I would let you, but you're not in Psychology. Don't worry about it Delly."

She gives up after that, clearly agitated but trying to hide it with her fake smile.

"You should eat at lunch Katniss," Madge mentions to me. "I don't know how you do that. I would barely have the energy to make it through the day."

"Don't worry about it," I groan, hating when people mention this. "I'm okay. I'm just not hungry." I feel Peeta staring at me, but I ignore it. Instead I reach under the table and grab his hand, attempting to reassure him. He doesn't acknowledge me at first until I feel his hand squeeze mine.

I'm not particularly in the mood to go to the lake today, but I do feel like it'll be interesting this time around.

* * *

 **Hey, this was actually longer than I expected it to be! There was plenty of dialogue in this chapter, and also a bit of hints about some characters, or implications of what Katniss has to deal with. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy! If you like the story, feel free to follow and leave a review! I really apperciate those a lot. I'll try to update again in a few days, you guys know the drill. See you later!**


	11. Meeting the Family

Chapter Eleven

Meeting the Family

When I get home, I immediately go into the kitchen to drink one of my mom's protein shakes. I don't think she's home right now, and I can never keep up with her work schedule. Prim is auditioning for a play, then her friend Rue's mom is dropping her off at home.

Pretty sure Peeta had to stop at Delly's house, especially how she practically begged him to come over. He'll come get me when we have to head to the lake. I can't help but wonder if Delly would attempt to woo him, especially now. She clearly sees me as her competition, and she thinks she's losing.

Maybe she is.

I don't want to think about Peeta and Delly, so I go into the living room and turn on the tv. I don't watch tv religiously like Prim, but occasionally I like to flip between channels. As I'm watching Keeping Up With the Trinkets, I hear the front door open. My mom comes inside with two brown paper bags in her hands filled with groceries. She steps inside and closes the door with her foot. When she sees me, she walks to the couch, leans down to give me a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey sweetie," She walks in the kitchen to put the bags down. "Where's your sister? Did she have that audition today?"

"Yeah. Rue's mom is bringing her home." I inform her, standing up from the couch and following her into the kitchen.

I watch as she unpacks the groceries, leaving the vegetables out on the counter. She takes out a chopping board and a knife to start chopping the celery. She looks up at me, her blonde hair nearly falling out of her bun. "Did you eat last night? I was downstairs waiting for you. I saw Prim eat, but not you."

"Yes," I lie. "I wasn't hungry when you called us down, but I stayed up pretty late studying for a test. I went to eat after you two went to sleep."

She shakes her head, not believing me. I can feel the lecturing about to happen. "Katniss, I don't know if you're just going through this phase again, but you did this your sophomore year of school. Is school getting too stressful again?"

I stare at her, not exactly knowing how to respond. She has always been observant, but I've always found ways to sneak behind her. I shrug my shoulders. "I'm eating Mom, in fact, I hope dinner is ready before I head to the lake."

"Hmmm, well I'll be done in an hour," She tells me. I start walking out of the kitchen, Bhutan she continues talking. "But I'm very serious Katniss. If I have to monitor you, then I will. If that doesn't work, I'm taking you to the doctor." It's not a threat, but it is a promise. I walk out of the room before she says anything else.

I go to my room, and shut the door. My room is a mess, so I start to pick up the clothes and scraps on my floor. I need to sweep, but I'm too lazy to go back downstairs. Instead, I just flop on my bed and decide to text Peeta.

 **Katniss [3:50 pm]**

 _what r u up to?_

I reach under my bed, grabbing my history textbook. I almost forgot that I had a quiz tomorrow morning, and Johanna will probably cheat off me. We might as well both make a good grade.

My phone vibrates, notifying me about a text. I flip it around to look at it, smiling when I see Peeta's name.

 **Peeta [4:02 pm]**

 _Just got home. Can I come over?_

 **Katniss [4:05]**

 _yeah, but come through the front door. Mom's home._

I place my phone on my nightstand, and leave my book on my bed. Walking down the stairs, I smell the spaghetti that my mom is cooking up. There's a knock on the door, but my mom reaches it before I can.

"Hello, I don't think we've met," I hear her voice as I walk towards the door. "Are you one of Katniss' friends?"

"Yes ma'am. Peeta Mellark. I live next door." I watch as they shake hands with each other.

"You should join us for dinner, Peeta," My Mom offers to him. I can only imagine the embarrassing conversation that would take place. "It's nearly done. Come sit with us." She opens the door wider, letting him in. She turns and sees me, her eyes opened wide.

 _"He's cute."_ She mouths to me, and I already can feel myself blushing with embarrassment. Peeta walks over to me, giving me a soft smile.

My mom walks past us, entering the kitchen. "You two go into the dining room. Dinner will be ready soon."

"Sorry about her," I mumble, leading us into the dining room. "She likes to get chatty with my friends. You don't have to stay for dinner. We can just hang out somewhere until we have to leave for the lake."

"I don't know about you, but I'm starving," Peeta replies, rubbing his belly. "Plus, it'll be a great opportunity to meet your family."

I roll my eyes at him. Meeting families is overrated. "Whatever you say," I touch his arm, softly dragging my hand across it. He grabs my hand, interlocking our fingers together. A simple hand hold releases all these sparks and chills through my body. A simple action lights my body on fire.

A want, no a need, overcomes me. I glance up at his lips, and then our hands. I know he feels it too, given the way his eyes burn into mine.

"Katniss!" My sister's voice enters the air. I let go of Peeta, and turn, hearing her footsteps running towards the door. "Guess what happened?" She jumps up and down in excitement.

"Did your audition go well?" I ask her, assuming that's what she's referring to.

She cheeses up, nodding her head rapidly. "I got the lead! Well, Rue and I are the main characters, but I'm so excited!" She stops jumping, and finally notices Peeta. She puts her hands on her hips, and smirks. "Katniss, I didn't know you had a boyfriend." She giggles, scooting herself in front of me to get a closer look at him.

"Prim," I grimace. "Peeta lives next door, and we go to the same school. Cut it out."

"Hi, I'm Primrose Everdeen, Katniss's sister. I know we look completely different, but I promise you, we're biological sisters." She greets Peeta, talking too much. It's true though, Prim and I look very different. My dark brown curls, grey eyes, and olive skin doesn't compare to Prim's blonde straight hair, deep blue eyes, and paleish skin. No one would believe that we're sisters. She looks more like Peeta's sibling more than I.

My mom enters the room, with forks and knives to set on the table. "Come grab a plate in the kitchen. The food is ready!"

We all walk into the kitchen, grabbing a plate, and walking back into the dining room. I sit down next to my mom, while Peeta sits across from me, next to Prim. My mom ties her hair back before taking a fork to swirl her spaghetti.

"So kids, how was school today?" She asks us.

"Rue and I got into the play," Prim says proudly. "I kept telling her not to worry about it, and look where we are."

Mom nods, clearly happy for Prim. "That's amazing sweetie. I'm sure you'll do great. What about you Katniss?"

I shrug, playing with my food. "Nothing exciting."

"That's too bad," She chews on her piece of bread. "Do you do anything after school Peeta? Maybe you can help Katniss become more involved."

He shakes his head. "I used to play football, but I tore a ligament in my knee, so I stopped playing after that. I do help out with my family's bakery in the morning before school." He explains to her.

"Oh really?" She's gaining interest in him more by the minute. "What's this bakery called? I'll have to stop by before my shifts."

They talk back and forth, while Prim quickly finishes her food and dismisses herself. I take small bites off my plate, enough that will satisfy her. Plus, I figured she wouldn't call me out in front of guests. I take my plate and go into the kitchen to scrape it. I wash the plate in the sink then place it on the counter. Walking back in the room, Peeta and my mom are wrapping up their conversation.

"Can I steal my friend back?" I ask my mom lightheartedly.

"Mmhmm, but keep your door open and let me know when you two are leaving." She tells me, leaving the room.

"Well, my mom likes you," I mention as we walk up the stairs. "She's more protective of Prim and I, but she must get good vibes from you."

"That's good. I was nervous for a second. Didn't want to leave a bad impression."

I scoff, placing my hand on his chest to stop him from walking. "I doubt you've ever left a bad impression on anyone. You're the most likeable guy I've ever met."

"Likeable? Meaning you like me?" He picks at my words.

"We're not playing this game, Peeta," I wave my finger in his face. "You know I like you."

I walk into my room, without closing the door this time, knowing that my mom would kill me if it was closed. He leans in the doorway, knowing he's trying to figure out what to say. I hope he didn't interpret it in _that_ way because then I'll have to find a way around it. Or do I…

"Well, it's only 4:30, and we don't have until it's 6. I can help you study if you want," Peeta suggests.

And that's exactly what we do.

* * *

 **Sorry for the delay loves. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm glad that I can cheer you guys up when I release these chapters. I have been having some depression days, so my writing has sort of slacked, but I forced myself to finish this chapter for you guys. Anyway, have a good day/night, and enjoy!**


	12. These Are My Confessions

Chapter Twelve

These Are My Confessions

"You know Delly likes you right?" I ask Peeta. His head lies on my lap. I'm playing with his blonde curls, while he holds my text book in his hands.

When he hears the question, he puts the book down and sits up and faces me. "What brought this up?

"Nothing really. It's just obvious…" I trail off. Why did I even bring this up?

"Delly and I are just friends. She had a crush on me years ago, but I let her know then that what we have is a friendship."

Yet, that girl still hasn't taken a hint. She's trying her best, to say the least.

Instead of indulging further into the topic, I scoot off my bed. I walk towards my closet and slip my feet into a random pair of sandals. "We should go," I tell him, grabbing my keys off my desk. He's still on my bed and doesn't look like he's ready to move either. "Get up dude." I walk to him, trying to pull him up.

"Can we skip?" He asks, pulling on my T-shirt. I place my hands on his shoulder, pushing him back gently. "Come on, Katniss. I would rather just be here with you."

"We all have our preferences, but I also rather not have Jo kick my ass." I take his hand, using all the force I have to pull him up with me. He complies with me, but wraps his free arm around my waist. "You're so touchy lately." I take note of this.

This only causes him to pull me closer to him. I groan, not because I'm this close to him, but because we still haven't left my room yet. We're going to be late. "You're no different, you know? Just a few minutes ago, you were practically massaging my scalp." He fires back.

I ignore this because he's absolutely right, but still I can control my impulses when needed. Once again, I drag him out of the room. We push down the stairs, and walk past my sister, who keeps devilishly smiling at me. "Mom!" I yell as we pass the kitchen. "Peeta and I are leaving. I'll be back before 10."

I don't wait for her to respond back because I'm trying to get Peeta out the door before he decides to make anymore moves. Once we're outside, walking, I let go of his hand. He pouts, but continues to walk alongside me. "Stop doing that." I command him, reach for his face. He simply moves my hand away before I come in contact. Instead, he holds my hand, again. I sigh.

"What's the matter?" He asks me, concern tingling in his voice. I lift up our interlocked hands, indicating the problem.

"You realize the group is going to think…"

"That we're something more?" Peeta finishes my sentence.

I nod, turning my head away from him. I don't want him to see how red my face gets.

We're approaching the woods, the silence grows on us. That's until Peeta stops in the middle of the path. I look at him with confusion and damn right annoyance. He keeps constantly stopping when i just want to keep moving.

"Katniss…" He starts walking towards me slowly. Uhm, hello? His stare captivates me. It holds such an intensity that I'm not sure I can even handle. I take a few steps back, but my back collides with a tree. When I look up, Peeta is close to me. Severely close. He places his hand on the tree and moves his body dangerously close to me. "Are we something more?"

I look down, avoiding his eyes, but he softly nudges my chin up to regain that eye contact. "Look at me, Katniss," He whispers. I'm afraid that I'll become undone staring at him, but it seems like I don't have a choice in this matter. He uses his other hand to take my hand into his. "Do you feel it?"

Of course I do. I would be a foolish if I didn't. I simply nod my head, knowing that if I speak my words will fail me, yet again.

"I want to hear you say it," Peeta's demanding side comes out. This shocks me because he's usually...not this forward? "But I won't rush you either. I'm not going to do that to you. I'll let you set the pace."

My heart hurts, knowing that there's one person who actually cares about me. Peeta cares about me that he's not going to force this, but he knows well enough when there's a connection. He let's go of my hand and caresses the skin on my cheeks. He moves my hair out of the way before pressing a kiss on my cheek. If my face wasn't red before, it truly was red now. He lingers for a second before stepping back. Immediately, I reach to him for a hug, pressing my body tightly against his. My arms wrap his neck, while I feel his hands on my back.

The moment, however, was interrupted by the loud crunch on the ground. We break away quickly, not wanting anyone else to taint the moment.

She clears her throat before making her appearance. I swear, she looks like she wants to punch something, or someone for a split second before returning to her signature smile. "Oh hi guys. I thought you two would have already been at the lake by now." Delly giggles to herself.

Peeta puts his hands in his pockets. "Hey Dels. You came right on time to join us on our quest."

"Hmm, I thought I was interrupting for a second," She says, glancing at me. "But, since we're all going to the same place, might as well walk together." She says, putting her arms behind her.

We all start walking, in an awkward silence. Peeta is in between Delly and I, as we walk. All I want to do right now is hold his hand, but I value my privacy too much. Plus I don't know if Delly will flip her shit. It's all so unpredictable. When we reach the lake, I see Johanna sitting in Thresh's lap, Clove hanging off a tree, and Madge looking up at Clove.

"Brainless!" Johanna shrieks, hopping off Thresh's lap and rushing over to me. "It took you long enough. I thought you were gonna ditch."

I look at her, wishing that I did ditch and that Delly didn't continually interrupt Peeta and I's conversations. I put my hand on her shoulder, walking with her towards Madge and Clove. "Have more faith in me, Jo."

"Look who showed up," Clove smugly says as she hangs from the tree. I watch as she lifts herself up and flips from the branch. Landing on her feet perfectly, she brushes the dirt off her jeans. "Johanna was convinced you wouldn't come. Then she started making out with Thresh in the corner." Clove teases Johanna.

Johanna doesn't seem bothered, in fact she seems proud. I would be squeamish as hell. "At least I get laid, _Clover_."

Clove pauses. Her eyes grow agitated. She really doesn't like it when people use her actual name. Madge clears her throat, inserting herself between the two of them. "Anyway, I wanted to formally invite you guys to my parent's gala next weekend. I know it's a rich person event, that can also be incredibly boring, but I'm required to be there, so I figured you guys could tag along."

"Yeah, whatever, I'll go." Clove mumbles, folding her arms.

"Go where?" Delly sneaks into the conversation. "I want to go!"

"The gala I was talking to you about earlier," Madge fills her in on the conversation. "Anyway, the only problem is that everyone needs a date, but that shouldn't be too hard for some of you." She says, looking at Johanna and I.

"I'll just ask Cato," Clove groans. I raise my eyebrow, and she starts to explain. "Cato and I have a...complicated relationship, but he'll go with me if I ask."

"Well, Katniss can just go with Peeta," Johanna says, with a gleam in her eye. "It makes the most sense because they live right next to each other."

Delly doesn't seem too affected about this. In fact, it surprises all of us when she speaks up. "Marvel and I will go together." She shrugs, offering another smile.

I'm not looking forward to another party.

* * *

"Katniss, sweetie," My Mom walks into my bedroom, looking to ask a question. It's nearly 11pm, and I'm pretty sure she's about to head off to sleep, knowing she has a shift in the afternoon. "Would you be a deer and pick Prim up in the afternoon? She starts play practice tomorrow and doesn't get off until 6, but I'll still be at work."

I nod my head, not caring too much about this simple task. "Yeah, sure. No problem." I say absentmindedly, flipping through my textbook.

"Head off to sleep soon," She starts to close my door. "Night sweetie."

When I see my door close, and hear her footsteps fade away, I immediately get up and head towards my curtain. Before I move it to the side, I think twice about my door, and decide to lock it behind me. Pushing my curtain to the side, I see Peeta at his desk waiting for me. I lift my window open, and reach over to tap his, signaling for him to come over. Leaving the window, I get back into my bed, pulling the blankets over my body, and taking the textbook and opening it up.

Loud as can be, he attempts to sneak into my room. I shake my head at him, wishing that he was blessed with quieter steps. "I'll have to teach you how to be quieter." I whisper, book in hand.

He laughs at himself, quietly, and walks towards me. He slips under the sheets, and grabs my waist. I quickly settle with him, my head on his chest as I'm studying. He starts to rub my back causing me to tingle on the inside.

But I ignore that feeling.

I need to somewhat concentrate before we go to sleep, and Peeta is the perfect distraction. But I do want to keep my GPA up. We have to apply to college soon, and I want to at least attempt to boost up my average ass grades.

"We should go to the mall tomorrow," Peeta says out loud, disrupting my thoughts. "We should match for the gala."

I close my book, figuring that I'm not going to get anything done while I'm this tired and while Peeta is here talking. "Yeah, I need something to do while I wait for Prim." I tell him, cozying myself up.

"Are you tired?" He asks me, loosening his arm around my shoulder.

"Sort of. We had a little too much fun at the lake today." I remember us jumping into the water, yet again, and swimming for the majority of the night.

Silence settles into the room. He knows I'm tired, so he doesn't want to disrupt my rest. He's too considerent, especially to me. The amount of bullshit I've put up with, and that I've put him through and he still associates with me. In the short time with Peeta, it feels like it's been forever. Our quick friendship expanded, and it's going into a direction that I never originally thought it would take. And it's all up to me.

His breaths start to slow down, and I know he's starting to fall asleep. I look up at him, and let my hand touch his jaw. I reach up and kiss his cheek, letting him know that I'm expressing how I feel the best way I can. His response surprises me. He pulls me up to his level, and brushes his lips against my neck. He does it again, this time with more confidence. The butterflies consume my stomach, and my body is clearly reacting to him. However before this takes a turn, I place both of my hands on his face to calm down both of us. Granted, I trust Peeta, more than I should, but I'm still damaged. It's hard for me to move quickly into intimate acts.

He settles for pressing a kiss on my forehead and he starts stroking my hair. We stare at each other, not saying anything to each other because this is enough for us. It's easy to forget the world when we're together.

That's why I take the time to tell him my story. "A few years ago my best friend sexually assaulted me. The same guy you met at the party...Gale."

His eyes widen, first with shock, then with rage. An emotion I've never fully seen before. I hold on to his arm to calm him down, but also to keep myself from crying. Contact with Peeta helps a lot. "Son of a bitch," He hisses, getting ready to get out of the bed, but I pull him back.

"Stay," I say softly, getting nervous that he'll reject me now. But he doesn't disappoint when he wraps his arms tightly around me. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I didn't want to be judged."

He pulls away, noticing the tears falling down my face. He wipes them from my face by kissing them away. "I could never judge you. I'm going to kick his ass if I ever see him again, but I want you to know this wasn't your fault."

"Maybe it was," I think about that night, when I should've gotten my own drinks, I should've noticed the signs, I shouldn't have been alone with him. The endless possibilities that could have happened that night and that had to be the outcome. "Can we sleep?" I suggest, knowing the mood is ruined but I know that if we keep talking about this, I'll just have another breakdown. He nods, letting me lay down on him, and in response he holds me tightly.

I don't know what I would do without him.

* * *

 **Hello, hello. I'm currently on vacation, sort of, so I spent most of the day writing up this chapter. Heads up, Gale will be making a return at some point, so expect some of that drama, and you guys notice how Katniss and Peeta are slowly getting there. Hmmm, maybe they'll make it official soon. Who knows? Oh, wait, I know. Haha, anyway, thank you for the follows and the get well wishes in the reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll let you all speculate what may happen at this gala. Maybe Delly and Katniss will finally talk it out...but who knows. I'll try to update again soon! Enjoy**


	13. Surprises

Chapter Thirteen

Surprises

The next morning, Peeta is still here. The sun isn't even up yet, but the birds are still chirping. I stretch my arms out, waking myself up. I sit up, scratching the top of my head. Patting Peeta's arm, I try to wake him up so that he can go back to his room.

"Peeta," I talk to his sleepy state, poking his side. "For the person who has an early schedule most days, you don't look like it right now." I tease him, continuing to poke him awake.

His eyes flutter open slowly. He rubs his eyes, waking himself up. "I rather just stay here." He rolls on his side, hugging my pillow. I push his shoulder, jolting him forward and almost off the bed.

"If you don't want us to get caught, then I suggest you move your ass." I say deadpan.

I watch him as he rubs his eyes. He opens them up, and stares at me. His eyes glisten, while I shy away. He isn't afraid to just openly watch me. Sitting up and planting his feet on the floor, he slows himself down to give me a kiss on the cheek before getting up. "I'll see you at school." He says to me, lowly, before opening the window and returning to his room.

My phone rings loudly. It's not even 6:30 so who the hell could be calling? I pick up my phone, and press the accept button. "Hello." I say gruffly into the phone.

"Katniss?" I hear Clove's voice question. "Look, are you going out today?"

"Yes I am, but you could have asked me at school," I groan, indicating to her that I'm still tired. "Why are you calling this early anyway?"

"Since there's no other time to talk about this, I was wondering if you ever told Peeta about...Gale?"

I sigh, not ready to start my morning off with this conversation. "If you must know, then yes. We've talked about it briefly."

"Good. At least he knows. He's the one that really matters…" She trails off. I hear her phone microphone makes a loud noise. I'm assuming that she's still in bed too and turning around on it.

"What do you mean?" I question her, trying to figure out the angle she's trying to get at.

"You told me not because I'm one of the closest people to you but because you can trust me. Peeta is no doubt the one you rather spend time with and I'm not upset about it. It's good that he knows, and it's no one else's business unless you want it to be made known." Clove's words shock me, but just a little. I can trust her, that is a fact, but I hope she understands that I do care for her a lot. I love all the girls in our group, excluding Delly for now, and I don't want it to be a competition between them and Peeta.

"I hope you know that I consider you a close friend Clove," I whisper, but it's loud enough to be heard on the phone. She chuckles.

"Of course I know. It's good to hear you say that."

* * *

Johanna bailed on school today, so it's just me until lunch time. Each class goes by slower than usual because I'm missing my friend's company. By third period, I decide to head to the courtyard to finish up last minute homework in study hall for Mr. Heavensbee's class. I walk down the hallway, passing the locked classrooms in session. When I open the exit door, the fresh wind hits my face and tosses my hair in different directions. Not many people are out here, in fact the only other person I see here is Foxface.

I don't know Foxface's actual name. She's a junior, but is graduating early with our class. The seniors gave her the nickname because of her fiery orange hair, and her fox like features that highlight her face. She doesn't speak that much to us, but occasionally people will make jokes with her and she'll go along with it.

I decide to sit at the table farthest from her. I know that if I were sitting alone, that I wouldn't want many people near me. She doesn't look up to me either, so I'm in the clear with that. As I sit down, I pull out my phone that was in my school bag's front pocket and my notebook. I need to finish these chemistry equations while I have time. They're not too difficult for me, so this should be finished in thirty minutes while giving me enough time to squeeze a nap in. That, or text Peeta while he's in class.

As I'm working my problems, I sense a person behind me. I'm always hyper aware of my surroundings, thanks to my dad and...Gale. I turn around and see Enobaria walking towards me. When she sees my face, she lets a devilish smile loose, showcasing her sculpted teeth.

"Hmmm, Everdeen is it?" She asks swooping down on the seat. When I don't respond, she squints at me, furrowing her eyebrows. "Alright, so it's going to be like this now?"

I close my notebook quickly, surprising her. "You're friends with Glimmer, and Glimmer hates my guts," I remind her. She scoffs, looking me up and down. "Why would I want to talk to you?"

She takes out a nail file and holds her unpolished nails out into the sunlight. She starts to file them, going back and forth quickly. "Ever since you came here, Everdeen, you've messed up Glimmer's chance to ask Peeta out," She doesn't look at as she's explaining this to me. I never asked for this information and I don't care about it either. "It's common courtesy to let her have a chance before you, the new girl proceeds. I mean after all, she's known him longer than you." She finally meets my stare. I know she's trying to be intimidating, but this isn't working on me. Especially over a boy.

"If she's known him longer than me, then maybe she should have told him that she wanted to date him," I start to pack my notebook back into my bag. "But instead, she cannot clearly fight her own battles, so she attacks me and class and then sends her little minion to do her dirty work. Sounds like your girl needs to woman up."

Enobaria's eyes fill with anger. She snarls, making her appear animalistic. "You little-"

"Settle down, Nosferatu," Delly chimes in, sounding the meanest I've ever heard her. "Don't make me report you to administration for harassment. Go away now." She sets her bag on the table and sits down. Enobaria scoffs, but she does get up and storms off into the building. Delly's expression is neutral, not her usual happy go lucky self. She takes out a breakfast bar and starts to unwrap it.

"Thanks for that…" I say awkwardly. She holds her hand up, acknowledging me.

"Glimmer and her posse aren't hard to scare off. They try to act like they're the top dogs, but once you mention any hint of authority, they scramble." She says in between chews.

I don't know why Delly came here, but it wasn't to hang it. It was a coincidence that she appeared when she did. "Did you want to talk about something?" I prompt her, ready to get this over with.

"Oh yeah, that," She puts her bar down. "You see right through me Katniss, and I don't think anyone has ever. I'll be honest with you, when I saw you and Peeta getting closer, I was really jealous. For one, Peeta and I have been friends since we were children and he's never noticed me in the way that I've wanted him to." She pauses her speech to take out her water bottle. She quickly unravels the cap, and takes a sip before continuing. "Well, I've liked him since we first started middle school. Expect I was pudgier and unattractive, but I told him how I felt despite that. Of course, he rejected me but he was never mean about it like the other guys in our grade. He even called me beautiful, even if I barely believed it," She sighs, taking another moment to think. "So I had multiple points to prove. One, I needed to lose weight and have a convenially attractive body. Two, I had to show people that I had plenty to offer. I joined so many after school activities and became known as the peppiest in the class, and I basically developed this persona."

"Well, what are you usually like?" I ask her, wondering if she has more going on then she lets on.

She shrugs her shoulders. "I've let myself manifest into somebody I'm not. It's not that I don't enjoy doing the sports and governing that I do here, but I hate feeling like this fake person all the time. It's pathetic."

I scoot towards her to offer her some support. I rest my hand on her shoulder, and she looks up and gives me a genuine smile. "Katniss, I don't hate you for liking Peeta. I feel terrible if I've made you feel like that. If anything, he deserves this. A person to make him happy. It's been a while since I've seen him light up a room. If I can't be the one to do it, then I can get over it." A tear falls down her face and she looks down immediately. I reach for my bag, finding the spare tissues that I have in it and hand it to her. "Thank you." She says, wiping her face.

"All is good between us Delly," I assure her. The fact that she came over here and poured her heart out to me means a lot. She isn't the robot I thought she was. "Not many people are mature enough to have a convocation about serious things...I'm glad that you are."

"Here's to a fresh start."

* * *

 **Hey Guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I wanted to settle this Delly and Katniss tension and I hope you like this outcome. Beware though, Glimmer might have something up her sleeve...anyway, I'll try to update again on Wednesday, and if not then it'll come sometime this weekend. We're almost at 2,000 views and that's just insane to me. Thanks for the follows and favorites! And let's not forget those reviews! All these things motivate me to pop out these chapters like they're nothing. So sit back, and enjoy the read!**


	14. Arguments?

Chapter Fourteen

Arguments?

Lunch time came quickly after that. I missed Johanna deeply because she's my only source of entertainment for my classes. That and I love her. I decide to grab a salad when I walk into the cafeteria. I don't want to have the daily discussion about my eating habits, so I will appease to the crowd just for today.

Greasy Sae is what they call the head lunch lady. She's always overseeing the different stations making sure that students aren't too greedy with their portions. She's not a rude woman, but she has a bark when teenagers test her. She's near the salad station when I jump into line.

"Ya name Katniss, say?" She says to me as I grab a plate.

I nod my head. "Yes, ma'am. How are you?" I ask her, wanting to show her respect.

She gives me a toothy smile, which is ironic since she's missing a few. "Good, girl. You enjoy ya food naw." She says, walking away from the station and towards the main dish.

It's the little things that matter to people.

Once I'm finished applying the ranch dressing on my lettuce, I head on towards the usual lunch table and find Madge already waiting for me eating a sandwich. I set my plate down across from her and take my seat. "What's with the plain sandwich?" I joke with her. She finishes chewing, and grabs a napkin next to her kit. She wipes the corner of her mouth carefully and then places the napkin down to the side of her. I raise my eyebrow at her, and she just shakes her head.

"I'm practicing my table manners for this gala. My mom has been insistent on me being perfect this time," She explains to me. She breaks character by putting her elbows on the table and putting her face into her hands. She looks up again at the sandwich suddenly remembering my original question. "I wasn't in the mood for much either, so I went with the classic PB&J."

I use my fork and move my salad around with it. "Could never go wrong with peanut butter. Now the real question: smooth or crunchy?" I ask her.

"Obviously smooth," She scoffs, grabbing the sandwich to take another bite.

"Filthy. Just plain filthy," Clove puts her plate on the table, looking at us in disgust. "Crunchy is always the way to go and if you say otherwise, you're just invalid as a person." She shrugs her shoulders.

"That's a bit harsh," Thresh says sitting down next to Madge. "Invalidating a whole person's existence over peanut butter?"

"You simply do not understand how important peanut butter is." Clove argues with him. It's really not that serious, but Clove's face gets red, so I know she's getting into it. She likes to be right, even if it's just an opinion.

Madge and I watch as they duke it out over peanut butter. She shakes her head with a firm smile. "Look at what you started."

I feel hands on my shoulders. I tense up a bit, turning around quickly to see who the culprit is. It's none other than Peeta Mellark. "Wow, you didn't even give me the chance to say 'Guess who?'"

"You'll be okay," I tell him, pulling out the chair next to me. He sits down next to me and places a brown bag in front of us. "What's this?" I ask, putting my hands on the bag.

He places his hands on top of mine and opens it with me. "None other than my famous cheese buns." He announces, taking out two of them.

Clove redirects her attention from Thresh and lands her eyes on the buns. "Are you kidding me? How many did you even bring?"

"Don't worry Clove, I brought enough for everyone," Peeta reassures her, which in return he gets a bright smile from her. Clove and Johanna are very similar, especially when it comes to food. They're serious about it. "Have you ever had one, Katniss?" Peeta asks, handing me one on a napkin.

I shake my head, picking up the bun. I take a small bite, and my mouth is instantly satisfied with the creamy sensation filling me. I let out a soft moan, and Clove laughs at me.

"Ohhhh, Peeta brought cheese buns!" Delly says, sliding her tray on the table. She leans in and takes one while I keep shoving bits and pieces into my mouth.

"I take it that you like them?" Peeta says, smiling at my satisfaction.

"I'll pay you to bring me more." I say, seriously, reaching into my bag to grab my wallet.

He puts his hand up to grab mine. He takes the wallet out of my hand, and reaches over me to place it back in my bag. "You know I would gladly provide this to you for free." He says to me, making sure I understands that.

"What about us Peeta?" Clove chimes into our conversation. "A girl has to eat somehow!" She throws her hands in the air dramatically.

He shakes his head and I roll my eyes at her, slumping back into my seat. Clove just shrugs her shoulders, and turns her head towards Thresh again, remembering their previous argument earlier.

The rest of lunch is the usual mess, minus Johanna. She better show up at school tomorrow or else I will go insane.

* * *

I get out of my seat and throw my bag over my shoulder when the last bell rings. Kids pour out of the classroom, and into the hallway, rushing towards the parking lot. I take my time, not wanting to be lost into the crowd. I know Peeta will be waiting for me at my car. He did want to go to the mall today.

As the crowd starts to thin out in the hallway, I pick up my pace, moving from a walk to a shuffle. I don't want Peeta to stand out in the heat, waiting for me.

I open the exit door, and leave the building. I got to school early, so my car was parked closer to the building. I not only see Peeta waiting, but I also see Clove with him. I squint my eyes and put my hand over them so I can block the sun. My other hand reaches to get my keys out of my bag's pocket and press the button that unlocks it.

"You coming to the mall?" I ask Clove. I pop open the trunk, and put my bag inside of it. She nods her head, repeating my actions, placing her bag into the trunk.

"I need a dress, and Cato isn't going to come with me," She shrugs as if she's fine with it. Her eyes tell a different story. "I call shotgun!" She pushes past Peeta, and hops into the front seat. Peeta looks confused, probably because Clove just ran at the speed of light past him. He places his bag in the trunk as well, and closes it with a big thump.

"It's cool if she hops along, right?" I ask Peeta, leaning against the trunk. I know he doesn't care that much. Clove is one of his close friends, so it shouldn't be a problem.

He nods his head, placing his hand on the car. "I'm more mad that I lost the best seat in the car." He says jokingly. I laugh it off, knowing that he meant it romantically. The way he flirts, most of the time, is very subtle and hard to catch, but I think I've finally come to understand it.

I open the car door, sliding into the seat, and swiftly put my seat belt on. I pull out of the school's parking lot, and start heading down to the main highway.

"Madge is lucky I love her," Clove mumbles, staring at her phone. "If I had the choice, I would've gone to this gala alone."

"What's Cato doing this time?" Peeta questions her, concerned. I don't know much about the history of Clove and Cato, but there is clearly some tension about the subject.

She shakes her head. "He's just...well, really dense and isn't the least bit clear on what he wants," She starts to text on her phone, but stops and locks the screen. "It's the only reason why I don't try to make things official." She explains to Peeta with a dejected look.

"Don't let him hurt you Clove," I tell her, giving her my own input. "If he isn't clear on what he wants, then it's not worth it." But as I said that, the voice in the back of my head called me a hypocrite. I shake the thought out of my head.

"Trust me, if he hurt me, he wouldn't be alive." She flashes one of her pocket knives at me.

"You're actually crazy Clove," I laugh. "Plus I don't think you're supposed to carry that at school." I refer to her knives.

She just smirks, and looks out the window. "It doesn't really matter now, does it?"

* * *

 **Hey guys! First, I would like to apologize for the late as hell chapter. I recently started working, so I haven't been focused on getting these chapters out. I am really sorry for the wait. I will still try to do chapters at least once a week, and it will most likely be posted on Saturday or Sunday. I wanted to get this chapter out because I had already completed the first half of it like a week ago, but I had to at least get to the after school portion to make it a bit longer. Thank you for baring with me, and enjoying this story! Really love reading the reviews, it gives me motivation. Anyway, I will see you guys next weekend, with a hopefully longer chapter. Enjoy!**


	15. Shop Till You Drop

Chapter Fifteen

Shop Till You Drop

"Alright, Katniss," Clove opens the door and steps out in a blood red dress with laced shoulders. "Does this make my ass look big?" She turns around and wiggles her butt. I let out a small laugh, and stand up to examine her dress better.

"Turn around girl," I touch her shoulders, moving her myself. The dress does highlight her curves, and sticks to her body well. Clove doesn't wear jewelry that much, but this dress calls for it. "You should buy this. It's a very beautiful dress and it fits you."

She walks back into her dressing room, looking at herself in the mirror. She smiles, ruffling up the dress a bit. "I suppose I'll buy it. It's on sale after all," She tried to sound humble, but I know she's excited. She turns her back towards me. "Alright, unzip this for me. We have to find you a dress too."

I unzip her dress, and she closes the dressing room door on me to put her clothes back on. It takes less than thirty seconds, surprisingly, and she flings the door open and rushes past me. I follow her, catching up to her pretty quickly. "Why are you rushing?" I ask her when we get into the line for checkout.

She merely flips her hair, and gets her credit card out of her wallet. "We have to find the perfect dress for you of course. Peeta can't see your outfit, it has to be a total surprise," She emphasizes to me, moving her hands around. "You can pretend to everyone else that you two aren't more than friends, but I actually have a brain. I want to see him mesmerized when I'm done with you."

The line starts to move, and so does the mouth. My jaw drops, trying to process what she's telling me. I'm not into the make over fuss. I usually keep my looks natural, barely even putting on foundation for special events. "Jesus Clove, what's going on in that head of yours?" I wonder out loud, hoping it's not as intense as I think it will be.

Clove puts her dress on the counter for the worker to ring up. She looks back at me, scanning my face. I hope I don't look too terrified. She just smirks, and listens to what the clerk is telling her to do. Taking the bag, she walks away from the counter while I trail behind her.

"First things first, we're going to Sephora. I need to get you matched." She walks even faster, knowing that we're on a time frame.

I haven't been to the mall often since I moved here, so all the twist and turns that Clove makes just confuses me all around. Eventually, after walking for nearly ten minutes, we get to Sephora. I've never been into this store before, and was overwhelmed by the strong smell of perfume and hairspray. To my right, women are sitting on stools, having a makeup artist fully make their face up. Everywhere else, there's just so many shelves filled with different brands and I just cannot wrap my head around this.

"Remind me why we're here," I mumble to Clove, following her through the store. "Seeing how expensive a bottle of setting spray is giving me heart palpitations."

She suddenly stops in her tracks causing me to almost run into the back of her. "Relax yourself. I'll be buying everything because I'm sure you're inept when it comes to this world," She waves her hand over a section. She walks up to the nearest worker and taps their shoulder. "Hi, my friend needs to get matched for foundation. She prefers light to medium coverage." She takes my arm and practically pushes me towards the woman.

"Hey, how you doing?" The woman asks me, writing into her notepad. She offers me a small smile.

"Good." My social awkwardness hits me, so I just don't know what else to say.

She puts the pad on to a counter, and starts to move towards the front of the store. She turns around and motions for me to follow her. Clove pushes me forward, and follows behind me. The woman stops and touched a few of the bottles before picking one. She shakes the bottle a couple of times before she pumps the product on to the back of her hand. Grabbing one of her brushes, she dips it into the product before moving my face to the side. Feeling the brush come in contact with my skin, it almost tickles. She only does a few strokes before letting Clove examine me.

"What do you think?" She takes a step back, and lets Clove see better.

Clove's smirk turns into a full on grin. "Perfect. Can I get the bottle?" She asks.

The woman takes the products actual box and hands it to Clove, while wiping my face with a makeup wipe. Once she's finished, Clove and I thank her. She ends up picking a few more products from different brands off the shelf before checking all of it out at the counter.

"You know that was really expensive," I remind Clove, still shocked that she just spent all of that money. "You didn't have to do that for me."

"Well, I wanted to. Just think of it as an appreciation gift," She says, stopping in the middle of the walkway. "I also changed my mind about your dress. I think I have the perfect one at my house." She smiles, devilishly.

Uh oh.

"Are you sure Clove?" I ask, not completely sure if I should put all my trust into this one dress.

She nods her head. "Yes, I'm positive that this specific dress is perfect. Just tell Peeta that it's a forest green color when he asks about it."

We walk towards the food court, only because Clove is starving and can't shop on an empty stomach. She's currently chewing on her French fries as I'm messing with a game on my phone.

"When are you two gonna make it official?" She shoves another fry into her mouth.

My eyes widen at the question, and I nearly dropped my phone on the floor. Imagine how much the cost to repair that would be. "Excuse me?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "I get why you're hesitant about it, but I can assure you that Peeta is not one of those type A jerks. Plus I see the way he looks at you, like you're the only person in the room."

She's so observant. Borderline stalker if she wasn't our friend.

"It's hard for me to trust people," I say, almost shying away from the conversation, but I realize I can talk to Clove about anything. "But, he's gained my trust, and he does shine a light on the bad, even if he's not aware of the total depthness of it all."

"Well, you did tell him about, you-know-who, and that was a pretty big step. He's not running either, so you shouldn't too." She tells me, picking up the sandwich she ordered.

"We sleep together." I blurt out impulsively. I cover my mouth quickly, realizing how terrible that sounded.

Clove puts down her sandwich, and folds her arms. Before she even forms a sound, I start talking to clear up what I just said. "Not like that! We just sleep. It helps with the nightmares."

"You had me shocked there for a second Katniss," She says, grabbing her bottle of water and taking a large sip. "How did that start?"

"You know that we're neighbors and all...well, his bedroom is right across from mine. I couldn't sleep one night, so I woke him up and he came over. The rest is history." I explain to her, twirling the ends of my hair nervously.

She's silent for a bit, trying to understand what I told her. "You two stepped out of a cheesy romance novel. Can we skip to the part where you declare your everlasting love for one another?"

"What are we declaring?" Peeta's voice breaks into the conversation. I nearly throw my phone on the ground, again. Clove just chuckles, taking another fry and stuffing it in her mouth.

"Nothing important, blondie," She downplays his question, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction. "Anyway, did you find a suit?"

He nods his head. "I'm picking it up tomorrow," He turns to me. "Where's your dress?" He looks confused, but truly, I am too.

"She has a special delivery. It's coming in soon," She tells Peeta. "We do have to buy her some shoes, but after I finish my sandwich." Clove declares.

I have a feeling we'll be here until closing time.

* * *

 **Hey guys! Hope you enjoy this chapter, it's just a little filler. I do have some interesting plot developments for this story, so hopefully I can implement them in soon...Anyway, once again I will try to get the next chapter done by the weekend. Make sure to follow/favorite/review if you like the story! I'll see you guys later!**

 **Random question: Who is your favorite character in the story so far, excluding Katniss and Peeta?**


	16. Ex's and the Oh's

Chapter Sixteen

Ex's and the Oh's

Clove refuses to show me the dress until the day of the gala, so I'm left with the sheer anxiety over it. Tomorrow is where all the magic will happen. I doubt Clove wouldn't dress me in anything hideous, but who knows? What if she pulls a really bad prank on me that ruins the rest of my high school career?

Let me stop thinking like that.

Anyway, it's past 10pm, and I'm walking alone in the woods. How unsafe of me, but we all know how much I crave danger. I couldn't sleep yet again, and Peeta is out with his dad watching wrestling in one of the arenas here.

It's dark, but the stars shine just enough for me to make out where I'm going. I could climb a tree and watch the sky if I really wanted to, but I just want to walk. I rather not stop by the lake this time at night because next thing you know, I'll find myself knee deep in it, barely being able to see. It's like an episode of A Thousand Ways To Die.

I stop for a second to catch my breath. It's getting colder as the days go by and I'm not used to this kind of chill. I hear the leaves crumple under the foot of the unknown. I turn my head in the direction it came from, but spot nobody. I start to walk backwards, getting freaked out.

"Catnip…" I hear his voice call out, and I freeze. Is this shit really going to happen to me again. He appears in front of me, sliding his hands in his pocket. "Fancy seeing you here."

"W-what do you want?" I stutter, looking for ways to escape. He rolls his eyes, and grabs my wrist. I start to struggle, feeling an ongoing anxiety attack about to happen.

"Relax, I'm not here to mess around, unless that's what you want to do?" His voice makes me want to throw up violently.

"Can you go back to District Four and leave me the hell alone," I snatch my hand away from him, rubbing my wrist. His grip was tight and it left a mark on my wrist. "Seriously, why are you here? To ruin my life some more?"

He laughs. He actually has the audacity to just laugh. I'm shaking out of fear and he's just laughing. "I came to deliver." he says, taking a ziplock bag out of his pocket and shaking it in front of me.

My eyes widen in shock, gaining flashbacks of a terrible time. I push the bag away from him, causing him to nearly drop it. "Get that away from me."

He shrugs his shoulders. "If you insist, but I think you'll be coming for some soon…" He slips the bag back into his pocket.

I try to walk away from him, but he just takes my wrist again to hold me in place. "Now, babe, you have my number still. If you ever have the urge, just text and we'll meet up," He presses his body against mine and forces a kiss on my neck. My body is repulsed by this instantly and I try to shove him off of me, but he's too strong. "You were always a fighter…" he comments before letting go of me.

Once he lets go, I make a run for it, never stopping until I sneak back into the window of my house. I shut it behind me, turn off my lights, and fall face down on my bed. I start to sob into the pillows, remembering that horrible night and remembering his lips roughly grazing my neck. Why doesn't he leave me alone, and why does he tempt me with *that* for Christ's sakes.

I've done bad things in my life, but what he tried to get me to do was one of the worst things I could have ever done. To myself at least. Why is he still here? To tempt me? Torture me with his presence? Hurt me?

He's lucky I've never pressed charges against him. Not like it would even get anywhere.

Wiping my face with my shirt, I finally get up to lock the window. Regardless, if Peeta wanted to come over, I just want to be alone tonight.

* * *

The next morning, I'm bombarded by texts from our little group chat about the gala. Madge is complaining about her parents being overbearing with the preparations, while Johanna just wants to know if there's going to be chicken. I read through all the messages, giggling to myself over how ridiculous this all is.

The smell of pancakes downstairs causes my stomach to grumble, but I ignore it, instead opting for a shower. I grab a red tank top, a bra and underwear, with a pair of skinny jeans and a jean jacket before heading off into the bathroom.

I open the door and place my clothes near the sink. I reach to turn the knob, letting the cold water fall down. After adjusting the water to a hotter temperature, I step back to undress myself, letting my shorts fall to my ankles. I turn towards the mirror to examine my body. My skin is still the olive tone it's always been. I have dark circles under my eyelids, probably from the amount of crying I did yesterday. Disgusted with myself, I grab my phone and tap on my shower playlist and let the music flow before getting into the shower.

I start to wash my hair, gently kneading the shampoo into my scalp. Once I get a good lather worked up, my mind starts to wander off with the music playing.

"One kiss is all it takes, falling in love with me…"

"Katniss!" Prim knocks on the door before busting inside anyway. I knew I should have locked the damn thing. "Your friend and your boyfriend is here. Get out of the shower!" She announces to me, then leaves without giving me a chance.

Boyfriend. I wish.

Wait?

Let me stop.

Sighing, I rinse the rest of the shampoo out of my hair before turning off the water. The cool air hits my skin, causing me to shiver. I take the towel and dry myself and then quickly put on the clothes I had laid out. I decide not to braid my hair and let it fall down my back.

I hear voices in my room, ones that belong to Peeta, of course, and Delly. What's Delly doing here? Same goes for Peeta. Clove would be clawing his eyes out if she found out. I can imagine the scene now: Clove using every curse word in the book, while Peeta tries to hold her back from attacking him. Not a pretty sight.

"Hey guys, I didn't expect you two to be here. I was going to meet you at Madge's house," I direct at Delly. All the girls decided to get ready at Madge's house because she has the biggest house, and the most supplies for if something goes wrong.

"Well, I had to stop at Peeta's house to steal a cheesebun for breakfast. Then he had the idea to come over and hang out a bit."

"Oh, cool. You haven't been to my house before Delly, but I'm pretty sure it has the same design like Peeta's. It's nothing too spectacular."

She grins, standing up and smoothing her sundress. "Between you and me, I think I like yours better," She says to me, teasing Peeta. "Where's the bathroom?" She asks, looking a little antsy.

After giving her the simple directions, she leaves the room. It's just Peeta and I, and I can feel him staring down into my soul.

"Why was your window locked?" He speaks up first, letting the silence fade away.

Shrugging my shoulders, I try to avoid telling the truth. "I wanted to be alone last night, plus you were out late. I didn't think it was a big deal."

"I would be lying if I said it wasn't," He takes my wrist, but I flinch a little because of the events from last night. It doesn't go unnoticed. He raises his eyebrow but let's go of my hand. "What…?"

I touch his shoulders, attempting to do damage control over this. "You know I'm not used to people touching me. Old habits die hard." I mumble to him, taking his hand into mine. I sit down next to him, trying to show him that I'm not acting the least but suspicious about anything at all. If he didn't believe me, he doesn't show it, instead relaxing his body since I'm close to him.

Delly comes back into the room, scooping out the scene. She stands there a bit awkwardly, not knowing what to do, so I let Peeta's hand go.

"What time do we have to be at Madge's?" I ask her, trying to clear the weird tension in the air.

Her face brightens up and I know I'm catering to her leader of the pride feelings. "Madge said around 6, but I think we should get there around 5:30. I mean we still need to get to the venue and meet up with the boys before hand. Speaking of the boys, I need to make sure Marvel knows where to go…"

* * *

Eventually, Delly has to leave to pick up her dress. Peeta looks like a lost puppy and doesn't want to go back next door. We're going to see each other later tonight, but he insists on staying a little bit longer. We're still in my room. I'm laying on my bed, and he's at my desk, doodling in one of my notepads. Johanna has been texting me, freaking out about tonight and how intense it's going to get with Thresh.

"You know that you can talk to me about anything...right Katniss?" Peeta turns the chair in my direction. I look at him, confusion on my face, but I know he's pressing about that simple flinch I did earlier.

So I just nod my head, opting to not say anything.

He stands up from the chair, slowly walking towards me. He lets himself on my bed, sitting down next to me. When I refuse to look up, he lifts my chin up to face him. I'm frankly surprised by this, nearly dropping my phone on the ground. I'm forced to look into his eyes and the intensity of the stare gets to me. Your eyes can reveal all your secrets, and right now the darkened look in his shows how much he wants me. That, and he's trying to prove a point. I hope mine don't reveal how scared I am. Not of him, but of how easily he can get me to spill all my troubles.

I refuse to on this one. He will kill Gale.

"There's nothing, Katniss?"

"Not a thing."

His eyes scan my face, flickering towards my lips and then back to my eyes. We're really close together.

Like really, really close together.

So close, that if he were to move an inch, he would be practically kissing me.

Oh screw this.

I press my lips against his, quickly. On one hand, it's to get him off my case, but on the other hand it's because I've been secretly dying to do this. I sleep with him every night. I trust him with everything I got. I want him in more ways than I can imagine. So, I just stop being scared for a second and take it into my own hands. If he can be aggressive with me, than so can I.

I know he wants this too when he kisses me back, cupping my face with his hands. He gently pushes me back on the bed, sliding his body on top of mine. I could be freaking out right now, but I'm not. That's terrifying to me.

This day really did get interesting.

* * *

 **Surprise? Happy fourth of July everybody, even though it is still the third. I got the weekly chapter in earlier than intended because I had this sudden rush of inspiration. Anyway, tell me your theories on the bad things that Katniss has done in her past, especially dealing with the scene with Gale...Plus, this Katniss and Peeta kiss was looooong overdue. I was even going to wait until after the Gala to have them kiss, but I decided to insert it here instead. I hope you all enjoy this chapter! If I can, I'll see if I can get another chapter in on Sunday, but if not, expect another one next week like usual. See you later!**


	17. The Gala

Chapter Seventeen

The Gala

Yeah. That happened.

I'm currently in the car to Madge's house, replaying that one scene over and over again in my head. Afterwards, it was kind of awkward. My lips were puffy, face was red, and I was practically shivering. I pretended to look at my phone's clock, and acted like I had stuff to get done before the gala, thus swiftly kicking him out. I'm an idiot.

I felt like I was high, but off of kisses.

Madge practically lives in a mansion. It's crazy how enormous her house is. I'm almost afraid to park my car in her driveway, except I actually don't have to. There's a valet waiting for me as I enter her gated lot. I'm more than happy to give him the keys to my vehicle, before hopping out of it.

"Good evening, Miss Everdeen." An old, pale guy greets me at her front door. He's your stereotypical butler, at least I'm assuming he's the butler. "I've been informed to take you up to Miss Madigen's room."

Madigen? I'm surprised Johanna hasn't used that to make fun of her. I sure as hell will.

He leads me towards the kitchen, and directs me to the huge spiraling staircase. I thank him quietly before walking up the staircase in a hurry. The closer I got to the top, the louder the voices got. I can hear Madge shrieking over her hair. I knock on the wall to alert everyone that I'm here.

"Oh look who decided to join us! Hey Brainless." Johanna smiles at me as she French Braids Madge's hair.

"She's late," Clove sneers at me, grabbing me. "I could kick your ass, but you're lucky that I can work quickly." She plops me down on a chair, and walks towards the closet. I watch as she pulls out the dress that she's been hiding from me. My jaw nearly slacks all the way to the ground in shock. The dress, is forest green, just like she promised. It has one shoulder, that extends a bit long, but on purpose. The dress is long enough to hit the floor, but Clove must think I don't notice that long ass slit in the dress. She shoves it in my hands and spins me around.

"Change," She commands me. I feel almost embarrassed having to change in front of everyone, but I know they all don't care. I strip down to just my underwear, not even a bra, and step into the dress. Clove zips me up and examines me. "Hmmm, my mom did a great job." She motions for me to sit in the chair again.

"Did your mom make this?" I ask, feeling how soft the fabric of this dress is.

"Yes. She's a designer. She had it in her closet for forever, so I asked if she would make some alterations to it." She explains to me, as she ties my hair up and gets started on my makeup.

"Clove's Mom always makes my dresses for the events I go to with my family," Madge walks over to us. Her elegant white dress has crystals embedded around her collar. It clings on to her body and showcases all the neat curves she hides. It's not too skin tight, however, making it completely appropriate for the occasion. "The dress she made for you is perfect. She's super talented."

"No wonder you always look like a bad bitch." I tell Clove, grimacing as she pokes my eyelids with a brush.

Beauty and pain definitely go hand in hand.

* * *

Just outside of Madge's mansion, is an event hall. That's where the family hosts most of the parties, gala's, political rallies in the town. Madge's family has tons of influence here, it's almost scary. Nevertheless, I'm standing with Clove and Johanna while I wait for Peeta. I finally met Cato, the man that Clove acts like she can't stand him sometimes, but deep down, she wants the man. Badly.

The two of them are having a pretend argument, while Johanna and I are slowly sipping the fruit punch that was given to us. "Do they do this...all the time?" I ask Jo, peering at the bickering "couple."

Johanna just scoffs, nodding her head as she sips on the drink. "It's always the same thing. Not worth it to listen to."

"And she still wants him?"

"Of course she does! It sometimes seems like she wants him more than he wants her…" She trails off, turning to scan the room. "I'm ditching you. Thresh just arrived and he's looking extra delicious." She winks at me, and walks across the room.

I watch as they embrace for a moment, before disappearing into the crowd. I sigh, wondering where Peeta is. He's not known to be late to anything. I turn my attention back to Clove and Cato, who have seemed to calm down a bit.

Clove grabs a small glass tub out of her pocket, and unscrews the top. Looking around, she pours the liquid into the punch nonchalantly, and then grabs the ladle. She swirls it around for a bit, then pours the drink into her cup.

"What the hell?" I blink twice.

She shrugs at me. "I'm not going to make it through tonight without alcohol. You might as well take a swing as well."

"Yeah right. You're only drinking because you don't know how to deal with him," I tell her, jerking my thumb in his direction. "All the bickering you guys do is unhealthy."

"Which is why I'm loosening up with a drink. Seriously, he knows how to push my buttons, but I like it." Her eyes glisten. She's such a deviant, I swear.

I would argue with her, but the feeling of hands wrapping around my waist scare the ever living crap out of me. I freeze, while Clove just smirks.

"Well look who finally showed up," She shakes her head. "Finally, Katniss can stop terrorizing me about my love life, while she can figure out hers." She presses her finger on my shoulder, attempting to give me a little push into the man's arms.

It's when I get spun around, I'm faced with Peeta. I wish he wouldn't sneak up on me like that, but I can't help to smile at him, as he whisks me away to the dance floor.

I won't lie, my annoyance with him being late is suddenly washed away. I'm just happy that he's finally here, especially now that I don't have to listen to Clove's bickering.

"Where have you been?" I ask him, placing my hands on his shoulders. We slowly sway to the soft sounds of the jazz band playing in the background.

"Family emergency." He doesn't offer any other information, so I don't pry. I just lean my head against chest as we dance. "Missed me?" I can hear him smirk.

"I might have," I look up at him, wanting to hide myself in his chest. "I had to listen to Clove and Cato bicker and then Johanna ditched me to get a quickie in with Thresh." I laugh at the situation. What a wonderful night it's been…

He's quiet for a bit and it confuses me. He's talkative, always knowing what to say. "Why so quiet?" I raise my eyebrow at him. He spins me around to the beat of the song, and presses me against him once it's successful.

"I'm just looking at you." He says softly, looking into my eyes. I feel my face getting red.

"Why?"

"It's hard to not admire a beautiful woman," He brushes a loose strand of hair away from my face. "Besides, this feels natural. It's like we're the only two people in the room."

And he's right. It feels just like that. There is no place I would rather be than in Peeta's arms. I don't know our classification for each other, but I know that for now, we're good. Great. Each other's.

"Peeta!" I hear a shrill voice squeal. I internally roll my eyes before turning my head to confirm the person. As I assumed, it's Glimmer, striding towards us. "Oh don't you look handsome tonight. Spare me a dance?" She bats her eyes at him.

"You two should dance," I tell him, wanting to avoid drama with Glimmer. "I'm going to the bathroom." I wiggle away from his grasp and walk away.

Sorry Peeta, you're stuck with her for a few minutes.

The bathrooms aren't in the hall, but instead they're outside in a separate building. It's a great thing that no one is around for what's about to happen.

Instead of walking into the bathrooms, I walk behind the building. I have the strong urge to lean against the walls, but then I remember that I have a dress on. I can't ruin it.

When I hear the leaves crackling, I know he's here. I take a deep breath. "Hello, Gale."

"I knew you would call. You always do." He says cockily. I don't have time for this.

"Can you just give it to me? I don't have much time." I harshly whisper to him.

He takes out a small ziplock bag and places it on the ground in front of him. He backs away, slowly, watching my every step. I reach down to take it, lifting up my dress a little to fit it in my stocking.

"I'm leaving tomorrow. I won't bother you anymore. Just think of it as a going away present." He winks at me. "If you need more, there's a seller in the pub. The name is Snow. Don't go too crazy though, sugar." He says, then just leaves without anything else to say.

Just like that, he's gone. I'm relieved, yet afraid. I'm also shaking at the fact that I'm going down this path again. I realize I've been gone a little too long, so I rush back into the hall. Glimmer and Peeta are still dancing, although he doesn't look very satisfied. I walk to them, and touch Peeta's arm.

"The line was kind of long. Let's go find our friends." I tug on his sleeve a little. I turn to Glimmer, feigning a smile. "Sorry, I have to steal him from you."

She glares at me. I know she's seething from anger, but she's honestly the least of my troubles. Peeta and I walk away from her, as we look for our friends. I spot Madge, with Johanna, Thresh, and another man. As soon as he turns around, I'm hit with the familiarity of his face. I wrinkle my nose but continue walking towards the group.

"Katniss Everdeen," His voice is smooth. He smiles at me, with his spectacular pearly whites. "We meet again." He takes my right hand and kiss it.

"I didn't expect to see you here Finnick."

* * *

 **First, I would like to say I'm sorry for the super overdue update I can explain this, however, and I think this is a pretty *decent* excuse. I recently had a job and it was really demanding for most of the day. I had the typical 9-5 shift and I would get away with writing a bit on my break, but then it just got so much more intensive. I had to start working double shifts, and I wouldn't get home until 8:30 and then I barely had time to do anything when I got home but sleep. Now that my job is officially done for the summer, I had time to work more on the story. So again, really sorry for the lateness, please don't be too mad.**

 **Speaking of the story however, so much just happened...what are your thoughts? I'm sure you can figure out what just happened between Katniss and Gale. What role does Finnick have in D12? Is Glimmer planning something? Maybe I'll give you guys some answers in the next chapter, but for now, leave a review telling me what you think, and I'll try to update with another chapter in a week. See you later!**


	18. Touches

Chapter Eighteen

Touches

"I'm Madge's escort," Finnick motions towards her. "Her family knew I was coming in town tonight and promptly extended the invitation to me." He explains to me.

Johanna lightly punches his shoulder. In response, he feigns hurt. "Ouch Jo, I'm too pretty for this damage."

"We all know you're here for Annie. It's sort of pathetic." Johanna scoffs, folding her arms.

"Annie? Annie Cresta?" Peeta questions, confused as I am.

"No shit, sherlock! He's horny for her." Johanna says bluntly, causing Finnick to laugh at the idea.

"Get this. I'm in D4, floating in the water with a couple of pals, when she just raises her head out of the water like it's a movie. My friends were scared shitless, but I couldn't stop staring at her. I was basically mesmerized." He explains to us folks who are clearly out of the loop. "We started talking for a bit, but then when I tried flirting with her, she just rejected me completely. I think I'm in love."

We all stare at each other, and then one by one, we start bursting into laughter. Finnick, obviously embarrassed, offers a few chuckles.

"He could never score Annie," Madge covers her mouth to try to stop the giggles. "She is a sweet girl, but she keeps to herself. We rarely see her around campus anyway."

"Enough about Annie," Finnick mumbles, clearly getting agitated. "It's good seeing you, Katniss. It was surprising when you left D4."

"Was it really, Odair?" I raise my eyebrow at him. If anyone knows about the shit I've been through, it's probably Finnick. He was popular, and could get secrets from anybody. Thankfully, Gale and him were never friends. Gale hated the pretty boys.

Before he has a chance to answer, Madge's parents start talking on the mic. Madge groans, but starts walking towards them with Finnick. I suppose she has to upkeep the family image.

Peeta's hand finds its way around my waist, pulling me closer to him. He leans down to whisper into my ear. "Do you want to ditch?" He asks me.

I nod my head. I was getting tired, and the event would be over soon anyway. Besides, our group will hang out tomorrow whenever Clove recovers from that hangover she'll get. Peeta and I say bye to Johanna and Clove before walking out of the doors.

We walk towards Madge's house, since my car is parked there. As we're walking, Peeta stops suddenly. I look back at him, confused.

He's right next to me now. He turns me around to face him. I look up at him, into his eyes. Even though it's dark outside, I can still spot that deep shade of blue anywhere. He lifts my chin up slightly. "I've wanted to kiss you all night…" His eyes glance at my lips.

"What's stopping you?"

"Can we talk?"

I close my eyes, realizing that we have to do it. Confirm what we are. I hate talking about serious things. "Do we have to? Don't we just know?"

"I want the confirmation to come from your mouth," he says deadpan. He lets go of my chin and directs me towards a bench. We both sit down, well he does, I mostly fidget and constantly straighten out my dress. "I make you nervous." He notes to himself. That's not true at all. Conversation does.

I blankly stare at him, trying to figure out what angle I should go with this. "You don't at all. Maybe when we first met, but not now."

"Good. I don't want to cause you anxiety." He says firmly, pressing his palms on the shoulder of the bench.

"I'm not good with words, Peeta. I'm terrible at trusting, but you snuck up on me…"

He gets closer to me again, but instead touches my hand. He pulls it towards his chest and envelops his hands around it. "I'm willing to go the extra mile for you, but will you promise to meet me halfway?"

"I promise."

* * *

When we're back to our homes, I rush towards my bedroom and lock the door. Mom and Prime should be sleeping right now and Peeta is getting undressed at his house. I unzip my dress and let it fall to the floor. I remove the zip bag from my stockings, and look for the perfect spot to put it. I finally settle for hiding it in one of my books. I then put the book on the bookcase with the rest of them. I take off the stockings, and throw them into my hamper. I'm standing in my bra and underwear, so I quickly snap the bra off, and reach for a long t-shirt to wear to sleep.

I open up my window for Peeta. While I wait, I sit down at my desk and braid my hair. I'm nearly finished when I hear Peeta enter my room, attempting to be sneaky. I turn my head around and he freezes, as if he's a deer in headlights.

"You're footsteps are so loud, I bet I could hear them from all the way downstairs." I tease him, getting up from my desk.

"You have freakishly great hearing." Peeta mutters. He takes a stride towards me, but stops again, looking at me. What did I do this time?

"What are you staring at?" I scowl at him, trying to figure out why he's being weird. He just shakes his head, flashing a grin at me.

"Just a t-shirt Katniss?" He winks at me, causing me to look down at myself. This t-shirt at least covers my ass.

"Is this a problem?" I sit down on my bed.

His eyes darken as he looks up and down my legs. He just shakes his head again and sits down on the bed with me. I immediately rest my head on his shoulder.

"You can kiss me if you want." I whisper against his neck. He doesn't skip a beat. His lips press against mine and I feel that spark once more. He lays me down on the bed, and places his hands on my hips. He deepens our kiss, wrestling me for dominance and I eventually give in, letting him take control. I love it all too much. I wrap my leg around him, making him press against me more. His hands start to wander up my shirt, but he doesn't go very far. I know he's still trying to respect me and let me set the pace, but I'm completely fine with him taking over. We eventually break the kiss, but he starts pressing his lips against my neck.

"You're…so good," I breathe out, trying to regain some form of focus. It's no use, especially when he finds the perfect spot on my neck that sends me into overdrive.

He kisses me once more before he slides off me, laying down right next to me.

I think I'm in love. I'm having a Finnick moment.

I want to be as close to him as possible, so I climb on top of him and lay my head on his chest. Listening to his heartbeat is relaxing. It lets me feel safe knowing that he's alive and well.

"Katniss?" He rubs my back gently, holding me. "You're so beautiful."

Doubt fills my mind, but I don't say anything. If he knew the things I've done, he wouldn't say that. Instead I give him a kiss on the cheek, and then get up to turn the lights off. I settle myself back in the bed with him and close my eyes.

* * *

"Katniss?!" I hear my mom knocking on my door. I sit up immediately, looking over towards Peeta. I cover his mouth with one hand and shake him with the other. "What did I tell you about locking your doors?" She calls out again. I manage to wake Peeta up without him making a sound. I point to my window, and I push him out of the bed to hurry him out.

"Sorry mom," I act tired, well not act, I am exhausted. I watch as Peeta sneaks back into his room before I even open the door for my mom. "I forgot to unlock it after I changed last night." I lie to her. I hate lying to her, but I'm also really used to it.

"Alright.." She squints at me, looking to see if anything is out of place. "Are you planning on going somewhere today?"

I shrug my shoulders. "I'm pretty sure my friends might want to hang out, but that's not completely confirmed." I tell her.

She leans on my door frame with her arms crossed. "I'm glad that you can balance your social life and school life here. You seem so much happier. Are you happy?"

"Yes mom, I've always been happy."

"You don't have to lie to me Katniss. I know when my children aren't happy." She stares at me with her sad blue eyes. "Ever since you and Gale had that fight, it's like a piece of you was missing."

I freeze. I never told her about Gale assaulting me, even though she was the one I should have told. She would've known exactly what to do, especially since she's a nurse. I couldn't bare to tell her though, so I instead just told her that we had a big fight and left it at that. She doesn't bring it up. Well, she didn't until now.

"I rather not talk about him. It's pretty early anyway, so I think I'm going back to sleep."

She looks like she wants to say more, but she instead leans over to kiss me on the cheek. "I'll make breakfast for you girls. Come down to eat before you go back to sleep." She advises before walking down the stairs.

My mom is very observant. I don't give her enough credit for that.

* * *

 **Whew, I finished this chapter early! I've been working on this story and my original story that I will be posting on Wattpad, whenever I get my shit together. It's great to see the difference dynamics each of my stories have, and I'm very excited about the future. Anyway, I decided to give you all a bit more action between Katniss x Peeta. It's been long over due, but don't expect any saucy things anytime soon...Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I'll try to produce another one ASAP! Make sure to leave a review :). See you all later!**


	19. The Start

Chapter Nineteen

The Start

I did something bad. Really bad. Terrible. Peeta has to help out his family with the bakery, Mom had to go to work, and Prime is hanging out with Rue, her new bestie. Being by myself gives me a lot of anxiety. One wrong noise, and I can have a full fledged panic attack.

I just did it to take myself off the edge, but I know deep down I'm fucking myself up all over again. I worked so hard to stop myself for my mom and sister's sake, and even then I knew I was on the brink of losing my mind.

It felt ridiculously great snorting it. I almost feel guilty about it, but I'm reserving the right to be selfish right now. It's like my body is restarting and reverting back to its greatest form.

I put the rest back into its original hiding space and walk down the stairs to let it set in. My phone vibrates in my pocket, and it's a text from Madge.

Madge: Wyd?

Katniss: Hey Madigen...it's hilarious how I never knew that was your real name...gotta use that more often..

Katniss: I'm at home, aloneeeee, Peeta and my family DITCHED me today!

Madge: Did Henry tell you my full name…? Whatever. We're going to the lake, so meet us there.

Madge: speaking of Peeta….where did you two sneak off to last night?

Katniss: do you want the dirty version or the squeaky clean version?

Madge: !

Madge: are you two a *couple*?

Katniss: I'm just kiddding Madigen hahahaha

Madge: ...I don't know if I'm more upset at you using my first name, or that you're lying to me about you and Peeta…

Katniss: ;)

I hop off the couch and slide on my sandals. Grabbing my keys, I lock the door, and start heading off into the woods. I'm grateful that the lake is closest to Peeta and I because I wouldn't be able to walk this long. We're usually the first people there anyway, unless they are spontaneous wait until they're there to inform us.

Just as I expected, I'm there first. I drop my keys and phone on the ground, and sit on the edge of the lake, dipping my toes into it. I could go for a swim right now, but I don't let myself dive in. It's getting cooler and cooler here, therefore I'll die from pneumonia if I get risky.

"Brainless!" Johanna throws her duffel bag on the ground. "You wanna climb the tree?" She asks me.

"Hell yeah!" I say, walking quickly to the tree, leaving her behind. "Can you lift me up, friend?"

"I have a bad back Brainless." She groans at me. I don't care at the moment. I force her to bend over and I hop on her back piggy back style.

I point towards the tree. "Come on Jo! To the tree we go!"

"Brainless, I will throw you off my back if you don't stay still." Johanna huffs at me.

"I got her," that familiar deep voice comes out of the blue. I feel his hands grip my waist, lifting me off Jo. I forget how strong Peeta actually is because he bends down to let me sit on his shoulders. He is taller than Jo, therefore it makes the most sense that he carries me. Besides, I can play with his soft hair. "What's up with you?" He asks me, as I reach for the branch.

"Johanna suggested it," I tell him, gripping onto the branch. I swing myself up and soon enough, I'm sitting on the branch. "You gonna come up here, bread boy?" I joke with him, waving at him to come up.

He shakes his head, and watches as Johanna takes the classic way to get up a tree by climbing up the trunk. I see Clove and Madge walking towards us.

"Friends!" She throws her arms around Peeta. "I'm so glad that you all came out last night. My family thought everything went perfect!" She says in a giddy way, smiling at everyone.

Clove squints at me as I hold on to the tree branch. "You went MIA last night," She scrunched her face up with annoyance. "Delly did too. I didn't even see her on the floor once."

"Clove, I work best behind the scenes." Delly walks towards her with a clipboard in her hand. Clove snatches it from her, looking at the material.

"That makes you sound like a harlot," Johanna chimes in, scooting closer to me. "And we all know pure Delly here would never put her lips on a-"

"Be quiet Jo!" Delly's cheeks turn a bright red. She grabs her board back from Clove with determination. "I didn't come here for you guys to make fun of me, as usual." She storms towards the lake and sits down on a blanket she laid out.

"I'll go apologize." Johanna jumps down from the tree and jogs over to Delly.

I hook my legs on the branch and grip tightly. I let myself fall back, hanging upside down on the branch as the rest of my friends mingle.

"Katniss, get down," Clove says, walking under me. She puts her hands on her hips and frowns as she looks at me. "You're way too energetic today."

I grab on the branch again and lift myself up. I can't jump off like Johanna can because I'm shorter than the girl, so instead I climb down the trunk. "Sometimes I wake up on the right side of the bed Clove. You gotta get used to it." I wink at her.

"Well, I invited Finnick to come over," Madge says to us, looking directly at me. "He should be here soonish."

"What's the deal with him anyway?" Clove asks.

"He wants to get into Annie Cresta's pants and that's all!" Johanna shouts to us. Madge shakes her head at her, rolling her eyes.

"He genuinely likes her. I'm sure of it. We were talking about it for hours yesterday. I think this is the real deal."

"Talking about me?" I jump when I hear Finnick's voice. He's next to Peeta and I, but he throws his arm across my back. I tense up a bit, but relax. "Hey Kit-Kat. We really do need to catch up." He whispers in my ear. It's a bit strange to me because we barely had the opportunity to be real friends to each other...but I can bet you all that he knows plenty about me. It scared the shit out of me.

"Kit-Kat? Are we in middle school with the nicknames?" I make fun of him a little. Truth is I don't really mind.

"You're right. We're seniors. I gotta give you a more mature name...like Kitten."

I laugh at him, pushing him off me. "You're terrible. You make me sound like a seductress."

His face gets serious for a split second, but it softens up as soon as it hardened. He looks at my face once more before turning to everyone else.

"Pete!" He gives Peeta the typical bro hug. "How have you been man?"

They ramble off into a conversation, while Clove drags me towards Delly and Johanna. "What's up with you and Finnick?" She whispers to me, looking back at him.

I shrug at her, shaking my head. "What do you mean? We used to go to the same school together."

"Yeah, alright. You two seem to have this secret code between each other."

I stop immediately and smirk at her. "We barely got to interact with each other in high school. He probably feels bad about it."

"I'm not worried about that. You're just acting a little strange today. I don't know if I like it or not." She continues walking towards Delly. "Delly, hey, sorry about earlier." She mumbles to her.

"Delly, you should help me join some club at school." I suggest to her, hoping to cheer her up a bit. Her head raises, and she smiles at me.

"I have so many ideas for you. Let me get my phone!"

* * *

 **What's popping guys? I've been moving in to my dorm and starting up classes. We're about to enter a darkish era with Katniss and friends. Finnick plays a good role here, and I will try to show how good of a guy he is in this story. Also, Finnick/Annie is always gonna be cannon, but that is just a little obvious at this point. You might get a bit mad at Katniss and her actions, but there's always guidance along the way. Anyway, I'll try to produce another one of these bad boys in a few days, it just all depends on my school work load. I love you guys and thanks for supporting the story so far. It truly means a lot!**


	20. Souls

Chapter Twenty

Souls

"Kitten!" Finnick greets me later that evening. I went to a diner by myself, after the group left for the evening. I started to get a headache, therefore I figured food would be the solution.

I hold back a groan at his presence and just fake a smile. "Finnick." I say nonchalantly, taking a sip of my coke.

"Can I sit down?" He motions at the booth. I nod, watching him swiftly slide into the booth. "I followed you here." He says honestly.

"That's not weird at all…" I scrunch my face up at him. I'm not creeped out however, figuring that he wanted to discuss things with me.

He holds his hands up. "I have a theory, Kitten. It's not a bright one, but I've had time to come up with this one for a while."

"Spit it out."

"Freshman year, you were friends with Gale Hawthorne. People thought you two were secretly dating. There was also rumors that you two got into some shit." He explains to me.

I roll my eyes at him. Here we go. I flag the waitress down at my table to order mozzarella sticks and a strawberry shake. I need some food to even entertain this conversation.

"What do you think you know?" I ask him carefully, not wanting to expose anything.

He cracks his finger and clears his throat. "I've been around the party scene for a while. I have a good sense when people are high. You and Gale used to come to school loaded?"

"Why should I tell you anything about this?" I sneer at him.

He's quiet, thinking about his next move. He's usually quick with his responses but he's hesitant for once.

"My parents had government influence and would force me to sleep with the mayor's daughter to get secrets for them. It was either that or hit the curb, which I decided to do when I met Annie. It's why I'm even here." He confesses to me. I feel terrible and sick. Your parents are supposed to love and support you, not force you to be their….

"I'm sorry Finnick…" I say softly. And I truly mean it. "Yes, Gale and I did drugs. But that was forever ago and I've been clean ever since." I lie to him.

He shakes his head, looking at the waitress who puts my food on the table. He stares at me, watching as I take a bite of my mozzarella stick. "Katniss, you were high today."

I nearly choke, but I try to keep myself calm. "I've stopped doing it." I stick with my story.

He lets it go. He doesn't want to because I can see it in his face, but he just lets it go. "I hope we become good friends Katniss. I wish we had known each other better in 4." He stands up to leave.

"Finnick wait," I grab his shirt, pulling him back. "Just stay, you can come over to my place and we can talk some more."

* * *

Finnick and I caught up on life when we got back to my house. I let him come into my room, knowing he had no bad intentions. He wants Annie, and I have Peeta. Plus we've been spilling our souls out to each other. It's almost too natural when it comes to us. I don't know why we haven't talked more in the past. I have regrets about it, especially now that I've lied to him.

He's laying on my bed, playing on his phone while I'm organizing my closet space. It's been quiet for a few minutes, but silence is good sometimes. Other times, it's just plain awkward.

"Do you know Annie?" Finnick asks me out of the blue.

"Nope, never got the chance to officially meet her," I grunt, placing my shoes at the top of my closet. "Jo will sometimes mention her but I never thought too deeply about her."

I hear my bed squeak, signaling that Finnick has gotten up. "You would love her. You two would compliment each other very well…" He trails off, looking out my window. "Hmmm, I didn't know Peeta lived next door?"

"Oh yeah, he does." I confirm to him. I step out of the closet, closing it behind me.

"What's going on with you two?" He raises his brow and gives me a sly smile.

"Uhhh, you're like the only person I've really told, other than Clove, but we're kind of together but not really?" I walk past him to clean off my desk.

"What's stopping you?"

"I'm naturally afraid, even when I shouldn't be."

He grabs my wrist to pull me away from the desk. I start cleaning or fidgeting when I get nervous. He pulls me into a hug, and I stiffen up. Eventually, I give in, hugging him back. It feels great having an outlet. Clove and Peeta are close but I never go the full mile with them.

"You're so tense. Just relax for once Kitten," He pats my head, pulling away from me. He looks over my shoulder, and waves his hand towards my window. I turn my head quickly and see that Peeta is on his bed, notebook in lap, waving back to Finnick. I give him a small smile and turn back to Finnick.

"I forget to close my curtain sometimes," I mumble to him, looking down at my feet. "He's literally next to me." I feel myself getting anxious. I know he'll question it later, and I've already put all my energy into talking to Finnick.

"Well, what would it look like if you closed it?" He raised his brow. He steps towards my bookcase and looks at the different genres I have laying on there. "You're obviously a reader." He picks up a books, that's really close to where I hide my stash. I try not to act uneasy, but it's hard. I feel like he's trying to snoop so he can get rid of my habits. I don't want to stop yet. The thrill seeking side of me wants this. I can't let him take this from me, not yet at least.

"Hey, so my mom is gonna be home soon. She'll get mad if we're up here." I casually tell him, opening the door to my room. He gives me a strange look, but puts the book back, and walks towards the door. I hope that sounded as smooth as I thought it did

* * *

I had to do it again. I didn't care this time. When Finnick left, I kept myself locked in my room, and dedicated myself to the craft. I'm a bad person. Terrible. I indulge myself in this over and over again, but it will never go away. I stayed in my room cleaning for the rest of the afternoon. With all the energy I had, I had to put it into an activity. I scrubbed my floors, made up my bed, and even helped Prim with her room.

Hate to break it to everyone, but when the high wears off, the crankier I get. My head pounds even harder when the sensation goes away. No wonder I got addicted quickly with Gale. Dinner with Mom and Prim irritated me on a different level, but I kept my cool. Prim has a habit of continuously poking me when she wants to do a thing. I don't mind usually, except for when my high fades away. I almost snapped on her, but just opted to move her hand from my arm. She seemed a bit hurt, but I did not think about it until I got settled into my room.

I hear Peeta knock on the window, and I turn myself in my bed. I grip onto my pillow, not wanting to get up because I know my head will hurt worse. Social interaction isn't something I should do now. I'll feel bad if I leave Peeta hanging though, so I suck it up and get out of my bed. I pull back the curtains and put a crack in the window before laying back down in my bed. He enters the room shortly, closing the window back and taking his shoes off. He climbs on my bed with me, giving me a kiss on the cheek and cuddling next to me.

"Hey, you okay?" He rubs my back. My eyes are closed tightly, trying to find a way to make this headache smaller.

"I have a really bad headache." Is all I say. I don't bother turning around to face him because I just want to cry. The pain eats away at my brain. I want to scream, but I don't. "Why did you leave early?" I ask him, recalling that he had to ditch the lake sooner than I liked.

"Dad was short with staff today, so I just went back in to help," He explains to me, sitting up. "I came back home and saw you and Finnick...talking?"

"Yeah, catching up and what not." I mumble. I move the blanket on top of me because the cool air suddenly hits my skin. I can't stand being cold.

"I was under the impression that you barely liked him." Peeta blurts. I mean, I can see why he would think that.

"Well, we work together better than I thought we would." I turn around to face him. "Peeta, I don't feel well. I'm going to bed." I put my face into the pillow, hoping that it'll drain out everything.

Sure enough, I do fall asleep, but for a very short time. My phone vibrates with text messages from different people. I curse to myself, but dare to look at my phone screen.

Finn: hang out tomorrow?

"Ahh, he's texting you." Peeta comments. He's laying next to me again, but with his hand around my waste.

I shrug my shoulders. I didn't ask for the commentary. "Yes, that's what friend's do, Peeta." I roll my eyes while I give confirmation to Finnick. "Anyway, we're going to eat in the morning. I need to sleep." I move my head into Peeta's chest and relax immediately.

I'm screwed.

* * *

 **Reviews are so nice! Everytime I get a review, I have a strong urge to put out a chapter quickly. You guys inspire this work. Let me know what you think will happen in the future chapters. Do you like Finnick so far? Do you think Peeta is a little jealous? Let's watch as Katniss spirals as the chapters go by. Love you guys! Enjoy ~**


	21. Caught

Chapter Twenty-One

Caught

"Katniss, what's your problem?" Clove walks next to me in the hallway. I have a hoodie on, tank top underneath with gym shorts on. I looked an absolute wreck when I woke up. I skipped out on getting high before school, but I'm sort of regretting it. "You didn't text me back this morning. I just wanted confirmation that we would help Finnick out tonight?"

"Yeah, sure I'll be there." I mumble to her.

"Okay, whatever. You're in a mood." She turns around and walks away from me. I don't bother looking back either. I keep going to my destination, which is the girl's bathroom. Instead of going to class, I'm hiding out in the bathroom. Seeing my friends is starting to stress me out because of my paranoia.

Clove is on to me, Finnick can tell when I'm on it, and Peeta is suspicious of something. I can't put my finger on it, but he's been a little concerned lately. Finnick doesn't think I know this, but he tries to hang out with me as much as possible to prevent me from getting high. I think Peeta doesn't like that.

The cool air in the bathroom brings me relief. I can sit on the counter and play some mobile games to pass the time.

The door flies open, and in walks Glimmer. Just Glimmer, which is somewhat of a rare site. Her eyes brighten up, laced with evil. "Katniss." He addresses me. She walks to the sink and turns on the water. She presses down on the soap dispenser and starts to was her hands.

I don't bother responding to her. She'll never stop talking.

"I have a friend from District 4. He apparently knew you." She tells me.

I shrug my shoulders, not really caring. District 4 is a small area. Everyone knew each other through another.

"He said you were a good lay." She winks at me. My body tenses up which I regretted immediately. It just confirmed it for her. I think I've lost this battle.

Glimmer stops the sink, wiping her hands on a paper towel. She rolls her skirt up another inch. "I know too much about you Everdeen. Don't mess with me." She flips her hair casually and walks out of the bathroom.

I really am screwed.

* * *

I decide to suck it up and actually eat at lunch today. I don't want to hear Clove and Johanna mention it nor do I want to see Finnick's stares. Oh yeah, he officially transferred here. He's currently in the same science class as Johanna and I.

"My parents made me apply to the private university in 12." I hear Madge complaining when I approach the table to sit down.

"We knew this was going to happen," Thresh says to her. I don't know how that's going to comfort her. "But, you don't have to go to their school of choice. You'll easily get a scholarship to the public school in 11." Well, that works.

"It's just annoying. They want me to live this picture perfect life and follow their rules. I'm going to be 18 in 2 weeks. I shouldn't have to worry about this!" She crosses her arms and looks away.

Madge does come off from a very high end family. I'm really not surprised that they're controlling.

"You okay Katniss?" Johanna asks me. "You're looking a little pale.

Yeah, well the fact that I'm craving and Glimmer basically threatened to spill out all my secrets this morning has me on edge. I feel like jumping off the edge.

"I'm just thinking about studying for Plutarch's test." I lie to her, stuffing a fry in my mouth.

"It'll be easy. He basically gave us all the questions on the test. Stop worrying so much."

Finnick is staring at me and it's slightly unnerving. Whenever he does this, I just know he sees right through me. That's why I like to change the subject. "Finnick, when are you gonna talk to Annie?" I tilt my head to the side to feign interest.

"What do you think we're doing tonight?" He mocks me, tilting his head as well. I just roll my eyes at him.

"Alright, but can we just address the elephant in the room?" Johanna says loudly. "Peeta, we know you have a crush on Katniss. Katniss, we know you're too chicken to actually do anything about it. Can we get the love story rolling already? I'm getting bored."

Peeta chokes on his bread, which I find a little funny because he's named after bread and he's eating bread. "Jesus, Jo. You sure know how to say everything bluntly."

I might as well confirm it to them. I sit up, move his face so that he's looking at me, and give him a soft kiss. I'm not going to give everyone a big show, but I want them to stop asking.

Clove lets out a loud whistle. Peeta looks a bit flustered, but he smiles at me.

"I hope that answered your question. Now onto the next topic!" I finessed the situation yet again.

* * *

"Why are we here again?" I ask Finnick as we walk into the drug store. Clove trails behind me with her attention focused on her phone.

He leads us to the aisle that holds all the supplies. "I want to prove to Annie that I'm not some playboy. Therefore, I'm going to write her a personalized letter everyday."

"You don't think that's a bit creepy?" Clove blurts out. I whip my head around to glare at her, only causing my head to pound even more. "What? I'm just asking."

Finnick shakes his head. "I talked to her today in class, and she wanted me to prove my commitment. Therefore, I will be as extra as possible to let her know that I only have my eyes on her."

"I think it's sweet. I just wanna get this over with because I have homework." I remind him.

"She just wants to make out with Peeta. Just like she did in the caf today." Clove rolls her eyes. I mean she could be right, but I will neither confirm or deny.

I ignore her, and start looking for markers and colored pencils for Finnick. He's going to have to get artistic with this, and that's what he's going to need Peeta's help for.

"Look, make sure you get the poster board, and the printer paper. I'll find the stencils for the board." I tell him so that we can get this all in one trip.

Once we've gathered everything, Clove goes to the register to pay for it. Finnick has to drop Clove off at her house first, then he's gonna bring me home.

"Thanks for coming. I'm probably gonna hit Peeta up and see if he'll help me decorate later." His hands grip the wheel.

"He'll help you. He's a nice dude." I clarify to him. I don't really have to do this because they've known each other, but I still feel like I have to clear things up.

"Hey, Finn?" Clove says, grabbing his attention. "Can you just drop me off at this corner coming up. This is Cato's street. He wants me to come over."

"Are you sure?" He turns his head quickly. She just nods, so he follows her wishes.

"I'll text you tonight," Clove tells me. "See ya tomorrow guys." She shuts the door, and walks off into the neighborhood.

"Your subdivision is close by." He makes a note to himself.

"Yeah, just turn here." Soon enough, we're in front of my door.

Before I leave, Finnick grabs my arm. "Hey, seriously, thanks. I appreciate it. I'm looking out for you too."

"It's no problem Finn. I'll talk to you later." I leave the car and walk up the path to my front door. I unlock the door, but Prim is right behind it. She smiles at me, and I give her a quick hug.

"Katniss, Mom just left to go to work. The food is on the stove!" She plops herself in front of the television after informing me.

I'm halfway up the stairs when I remember. "Hey, lock the door Prim!"

She shouts an okay, so I continue going towards my room. I really need to get high before I explode. I take the book with the supplies in it, and start setting up. I clear my desk to get a flat surface. Wish I could say this would be my last time doing this, but I can't stop now. I sit down on my chair, and lean down to sniff. That's when my door opens, and Finnick just walks in like he owns the place.

I freeze. He freezes. I don't really know what to do now that my friend has literally caught me in the process.

"Shit, Katniss." He runs over to my desk, and grabs my hands. Finnick has always had a playful face, but he's intense right now. Too intense for me. I don't know how to handle this.

He walks me to my bed, and sits me down. "I'm going to take away the bag."

I rush to sit up, but he's quicker than me, pushing me down again and grabbing my wrists. "Katniss, I'm not leaving here without it. Sit down and stay there while I grab the bag and clean off your desk." He commands me. Even if I tried to fight him, he would get his way.

I just lost out on my pack. I'm incredibly pissed at myself. Prim didn't lock the front door back, and I should've locked mine. I'm careless. What if Prim walked in, instead of him?

"I'm getting rid of this stack. And then I'm coming back to make sure it's all gone. I knew you were doing this still, but I had no proof." He says to me, gripping onto the bag. I just want to snatch it from him and run, but I won't.

He gets on one knee in front of me, and looks me in my eye. "I'm not mad at you. I just want you to get better. I don't know what pushed you to this again, but we'll fix it."

"Please don't tell." I just whisper, terrified. I don't want this to get out to our friends, or anybody else like my Mom. I feel like crying.

"I'm not going to. You know this." He gets up. He would've left the room, if it weren't for the fact that I hear Peeta lifting up the window. I also forgot to shut the window all the way down.

I stare at Peeta, scared that he heard the conversation Finnick and I just had, but he looks clueless. "Hey, Katniss. Finnick?"

"I had to give her some of my notes for class. She really doesn't want to fall behind dude." Finnick informs him. "I gotta come back, but I need to hit up Madge at her house for a bit. Talk to you later guys." He exits my room quickly.

"Are you okay?" Peeta asks me, sitting next to me on the bed. I need to get myself together because I don't want him to think anything is out of place.

"I get really stressed sometimes, but since you're here, I already feel better." I lean in to peck him on the lips. Stay strong Katniss. Stay strong.

* * *

 **I wanted to get this out quickly! Ahh, I've been watching my online lectures while writing this at the same time, so sorry if it's a little sloppy, but I know how much you guys have wanted me to updated quickly. I'm appreciative of you guys, like seriously. I love the reviews and to see my followers increase on this story. I do suffer from depression and anxiety, so writing is a side hobby of mine and to see my work being liked is amazing to me.**

 **Anyway, about the story, like I said a few chapters ago, Katniss is going to make a lot of bad choices and it's evidently going to affect her relationships with Peeta. I just want to affirm to you guys that this will always be a Katniss x Peeta story, so no matter what happens, they are end game. I like to give happy endings, but since Katniss struggling is a big plot point in the story, who knows what could happen right now? I think you can already tell that Clove is getting a little fed up with how she's acting. She's going to do a few more stupid things, but in the end all will be resolved. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you have any questions about the story, me, or whatever just ask them in the reviews. I read every single one and I appreciate them so much!**


	22. Mess Up

Chapter Twenty-Two

Mess up

Finnick: Where did you get it from?

I turn around to make sure Peeta is still asleep. He's out like a baby. His arms grip my waist tightly, but I don't have to worry about waking him up...as long as I don't move too much.

Katniss: if I told you, you would get mad. I don't have a dealer so just don't worry about it

Finnick: just because it's 3am and you're "sleeping" doesn't mean I won't come back over

Katniss: you can't! Peeta is here and sleeping. Let it go Finn.

I quickly close my phone and put it on my nightstand. I wiggle myself against Peeta again, making myself comfortable enough to fall asleep again. I feel him move around in his sleep, his arm moves from my waist. He groans and ends up waking himself up. I, of course, stay still because I know he usually just goes back to sleep. This time he doesn't. I feel the bed move. He gives me a kiss on the cheek, checks his phone, and then leaves through the window.

What the hell? My thoughts go haywire. He never just outright leaves in the middle of the night. Maybe he had to grab something and will be back.

That doesn't happen. My anxiety shoots through the roof at this point. Why did he just leave me like that? People leave out of my life too quickly. I fling the covers off me, and step towards the window. He's not in his room. If he's not there, then where is he?

"Peeta, I really need you to look out for Katniss…" I hear Finnick's voice whisper in the darkness.

"I'm with her almost every night. She's been doing fine." I hear Peeta assure him.

I'm livid. Finnick promised he wouldn't tell anyone, and he went and told my boyfriend. Peeta's been keeping secret tabs on me for Finnick, I bet.

I slide on my shorts, and push my window up higher. I slide down the pipe that runs along the house and spin myself in the direction of the two boys. As soon as I see Finnick's face, I stomp towards him and shove him.

"You have the nerve to tell my business when I explicitly told you not to." I shove him again. I'm so angry right now that I clench my hands ready to swing on him. I don't even have the chance to because Peeta is holding on to me in an instant.

I try to shake him off me, but it's no use. He's bigger than me and stronger. "I thought I could trust you with my privacy Finn, but I guess not!" I let myself rant. "And you, Peeta, you just decide to follow along and spy on me. What gave either of you the right?"

"Katniss, what are you talking about?" Peeta looks down at me with a look of confusion.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. Now, let go of me, and don't come back into my house. My window is shut and locked." I push Peeta away from me and shimmy my way up the pole. I slam the window shut and close the curtains.

I let myself cry on the spot. How am I ever going to recover if I literally keep pushing people who care about me away? Still, I don't appreciate the talks. I could confess to them, but that would force me to better myself. I'm selfish. I want to be on that high all the time. It's how I produce my short term happiness. On the inside, I feel terrible about myself as the days go by.

I hear the window open. Great, I forgot to lock that. I basically made an empty threat. I turn around to tell whoever it is to leave, but Finnick is already next to me. I push him away from me, still angered.

His face scrunches up. "Katniss, I didn't tell him anything." He kneels down and grabs my hand. I don't pull away this time, even though I have it in me to punch him. "I don't know what you overheard, but I promise you I didn't tell him anything. I just wanted him to look out for you."

"Well, Finnick," I emphasize his name through my teeth. "It sounded like you wanted him to spy on me. My own boyfriend, spying on me? You want to know how that makes me feel?"

"He came to me. Katniss, you have to realize that your behavior has seriously changed quickly. Peeta is concerned, but when he asks, you don't tell him anything." He brushes his hair out of his face with his hands. "I just told him that you might be going through something and just to look over you. Wait for you to just talk to him."

I feel a single tear fall down my face. And then another. I'm eventually releasing a whole waterfalls worth of tears down my face. Finnick grab my shoulders, pulling me in for a tight hug. I sob into his shoulder, barely breathing through my tears. "Sssh, Katniss it's okay." He rubs my back trying to soothe me.

"I'm just a huge fuck up," I get myself out of his embrace and wipe my face with my hands. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

"You have an addiction problem. You need help." Finnick tells me.

"I can't. I'll break my mom's heart all over again." My voice cracks. If my mom ever found out, I don't even want to think of her reaction. She's tried her best to handle my father's death by dedicating herself to being a mother and a nurse. She would know what to do, but I don't want to be a disappointment to her. Oh god, then there's Prim. She's going to know her older sister is a terrible person.

"Like I told you, I'm going to be there for you, but if nothing improves, I will have to tell your mom." He's stoned face. He means business. That terrifies me.

"Fine." Is all I offer. "Go home Finnick." I need to be alone for the rest of the night. I'll avoid everyone at school if I have to. Finnick nods his head, kisses me on the forehead, and leaves through the window. I follow him, locking it this time. I'll miss Peeta's arms, but I can't face him after the embarrassing breakdown I just had.

* * *

I skip lunch and instead go into the courtyard. I don't want to be around anyone right now. I'm afraid that I'll mess up.

Not many people are out here. It's too bad for the others in the cafeteria because it's nice to eat out here. The fall breeze isn't too cold, it's perfect.

I sit on the bench, and take out a pack of crackers. It's not going to be really filling, but it'll do for now. I need to get my life together soon, or else I'll just stagnate. I have a few colleges I need to apply for, and I need to figure out exactly what my passion is. I used to write before my life took a severe turn, but I haven't produced any work in recent history. I have nothing right now.

It's crazy how empty one person has made me felt.

"There she is," Clove says, exiting the doors to the building. "I was wondering where you were. I wanted to talk to you."

I shake my head. "Clove, I'm not really feeling well, so could you just leave me alone." I grimace at how rude I sounded just now, but it's true. I want to be alone.

She looks taken back, but she bounces back quickly. "You know, I'm always really considerate about your feelings and all, but hey, maybe I need to talk to a friend. I tell you things that I don't tell Johanna, Dels, and Madge."

"And I completely understand that, but I just am not in a good headspace as of lately." I explain to her.

"You think I didn't notice? I'm always straight up with you Katniss. Maybe you should do the same sometime." She crosses her arms.

"Well then maybe you should be straight up to Cato about how you actually feel. I mean you let him use you for his pleasure and gain, yet the only person you can be real with is me. Give me a break." I scoff at her. I watch as her face hardens, but no emotion lets out.

"You know what? Don't talk to me until you stop being a bitch." She sneers at me, her face red. She grabs her bag, throws it over her shoulders, and rushes inside the building.

I probably shouldn't have brought up Cato, but I think she should've left me alone. Am I in the wrong?

I start to get up to go chase after her when I spot Peeta walking inside the building. This causes me to go the opposite way entirely because I still haven't apologized to him for yelling at him. He's probably really confused and I don't know how to even address that.

I make my way towards the parking lot, deciding it's best if I just leave campus completely. I can't go back home because mom is probably there taking a nap before her next shift. I unlock my car door, opening it but it gets slammed shut. I look up only to see Peeta's blue eyes on mine. You would think I would get used to them, and the flutters would stop, but they don't. He takes one hand and hooks it on my waist while the other rests on the other side of me, essentially trapping me.

"You've been avoiding me." He more tells me, than asks. "Tell me why."

"I'm not in a good headspace." I offer him. It's true, not a lie. Just not lengthy.

"Look, I'm sorry for yesterday. I'm not spying on you Katniss, I never would."

"I actually was going to apologize to you today. I overreacted. I looked foolish and felt bad about it." I confess to him. "I just wish I was more normal, and less broken."

He moves his hand towards my cheek, cupping it in his hand. "Let me help you."

I just nod my head. He presses his lips on mine, and I gasp. It catches me off guard each time, but whenever we kiss I can feel the sparks. I never thought this was real, but he's proven me wrong.

It almost convinces me to spill everything to him, but the doubt comes to my mind. He'll think I'm stupid. Or maybe I'm not giving him enough credit.

"Where are you going?" He asks me, leaning his forehead against mine.

"Away from here. I need some alone time. Desperately." I tell him, placing my hands on his shoulder. Our interactions make me feel terrible with how I dealt with Clove. I consider her a best friend and I just shoved a sensitive topic in her face.

"I'll respect that, but you have to let me come over tonight." He demands me and I happily oblige. I barely slept last night and had a couple of nightmares. Every night without him is subpar.

I look at my phone and notice the time. "You'd better head back to class." I look at the building seeing students file inside. "I'll talk to you later." I sneak another kiss from him, feeling his chest. I back away, and open my car door. Peeta says goodbye, and I shut my door. I start the engine and exit the parking lot, not looking back.

You all think I'm incredibly messed up, have no meaning in life, and don't deserve to get better. I bet that's what everyone thinks. But that's okay, this was the point where I either got help, or risked my life. Which choice was I going to make?

Bad decisions seem to follow me everywhere I go.

* * *

 **Hey guys! I don't really have much to say other than I really appreciate every review and follow that I get. You all make me feel better about my writing. I nearly stopped doing it a few months ago but I kept pushing through. Thankful for everyone of you, even if 20 followers is small, I still find it amazing 3. I also wrote this chapter while under the influence of alcohol so, hey, maybe that made the chapter a little better lmao. Enjoy everyone!**


	23. Changes

Chapter Twenty-Three

Changes

Gale told me if I ever wanted another batch, then I should go see a man named Snow. I don't know how trustworthy this source is, especially coming from Gale, but if I craved more then I needed to go to him.

I have an idea where his base is. In plain sight to deceive the public eye. I know that if Finnick catches me, he'll expose me to my mother, but I just need one more high. That will be it.

When I drive towards the marketplace that Snow is located, I park my car across the street and sit there for a minute. Am I really going to risk this and show my friends how untrustworthy I am? I really want to stop, but this is hard on my body. The urge to hit it is so intense, I could scream.

I make the move to step out of the car until I hear police sirens. They grow louder and louder until their squad cars swerve in front of the market. Two officers get out of the car, and rush into the market. I leave the car to see what's going on. I just want to be nosey at this point. I walk towards the crowd. People are whispering to each other as the officers escort an old man, with a long white beard out of the place.

"Excuse me ma'am," I tap on a woman's shoulder. She turns around quickly, showing that she's holding a toddler on her hip. She raises her eyebrow, prompting me to continue. "I was wondering what was going on? I needed to run in the market quickly to get my mother some eggs." An easy lie that's believable.

"Oh honey, the police just got a hold of the store owner. Coriolanus supposedly has a lab in the basement. You might want to find another store." She suggests. Her daughter fidgets in her arms, signaling that she wants to get down. The woman sighs, bending down to let her stand on her own. She holds on to the child's hand, not letting her go.

I nod my head. "Thank you for the information. Have a nice day." I walk away from them to head back to my car. Once inside, I take a deep breath, and let it out.

Coriolanus Snow was who I was going to see. He just got arrested. This has to be a sign.

I start up the car to go back home, but when I catch a glimpse at the time, I decide to stray elsewhere. Turning into the neighborhood, I look for the house. Once I find it, I park on the side of the street and jump out the car. I make my way up the driveway, towards the door. I knock on it quickly, but loud enough.

Clove opens the door with her phone in her hand. "Hey," She's looking at her screen, but when she looks up and sees that it's me, her face turns expressionless.

I stare at her, losing the nerve to apologize to her, but I swallow the lump in my throat and speak. "Clove, I shouldn't have said that to you. It's shitty for me to throw Cato in your face like that. There's no excuses and I'm sorry." I let the words flow out naturally. My voice was wobbly the entire time, but when you have bad anxiety like me, it's hard to maintain control.

When she doesn't respond, I contemplate walking back to my car, but when she speaks up it gives me hope. "Yeah, that wasn't cool, but I forgive you," She looks off to the side. "But, I think we should talk, so come in." She opens the door wider for me. I step inside, and walk straight to her bedroom. I hear her swing the door closed. Opening the door to her room, I walk in and automatically head for her bed. She follows behind me, closing the door, and taking her phone out. She doesn't come to sit on the bed, instead opting to stand. She rests her foot on the side of the bed, tapping it constantly.

"What's the issue Katniss? It's okay to have some off days because you have gone through a lot, but ever since the Gala, you have been acting...strange?" She pauses in between because she sees me crying. It's not a single tear, it's an oceans worth of tears.

Finnick is the only one I've been talking to about this. It hurts not being able to tell Peeta and Clove my feelings, but that's changing.

"Clove, I have to tell you this and it's really hard for me to even say this outloud," I take a deep breath before continuing. "I told you about Gale assaulting me, but I haven't told you the bad shit I've done with him. We used to abuse drugs heavily, but I somewhat stopped after he did that to me."

"Katniss, holy shit." She moves down to the bed and throws her arm around my shoulder.

"Clove, I met up with Gale at the gala so he could give me more. I was high a lot of these days, and would be irritated when I wasn't. Finnick caught me and took my supply. I was going to get more just now, but I watched my dealer get arrested in front of my face. It's like a switch went off in my head. I need to stop."

She pulls me in for a big hug. Clove isn't the most emotional person, but she's always there when I need her the most. She doesn't say anything, although I can practically hear her thoughts.

When she pulls back, she looks me in my eyes. "What is the plan?"

"I have to tell my mom."

* * *

I'm giving myself 24 hours before I confess to my mother about everything. The rape, the drugs, the anxiety, and the depression. There's so many things that I have to tell her, but I'm scared of her reaction.

"Clove. Finnick. Peeta will come here soon, so I need you both to just hush up about the situation." I inform them. I invited them to come sleepover for the night because I needed to figure out what to tell my mom. I also needed a distraction. I don't want to run rampant on the streets looking for drugs tonight.

"Why won't you tell him? That boy actually cares about you too much," Clove looks up from her phone. "Katniss, he won't abandon you over this."

I don't want to start crying anymore. I look down at my feet. "I don't want to disappointment him."

"Peeta would want to support your recovery." Finnick points out to me. It's true though. Peeta would want to support me. I just don't want to reveal the depth of my problems.

"I'll tell him...eventually."

"Tell who, what?" The window slides up, and Peeta steps inside through it. "Woah, I didn't realize you two would be here." He says, surprised.

"I forgot to tell you that they would be sleeping over. I hope you don't mind." I say with uneasiness. Peeta walks over to me, looks me in my eye, and plants a quick kiss on my forehead. He wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulling me in for a hug. I hear Clove scoff at the scene and Finnick just whistles.

"Can you two be cute somewhere else." Clove squints at us, giving us an annoyed look.

"You wanna makeout Clove? Show Kitten and Peeta that they're amateurs?" Finnick winks at her, showing off his flirtatious ways. He scoots closer to her.

Her face gets red and she shoves Finnick away from her. "Don't even think about it Odair."

He starts to laugh, which causes Clove to ball up her fists. I swear, she would've swung on him if he didn't grab her hands. "Clove, relax. It's all jokes." He clarifies to her.

"Whatever." She makes Finnick let go of her, while she reaches for her phone.

"Finnick, Clove, can you two go downstairs? My mom isn't going to let any of us sleep in my room, so we're going to migrate to the den." I tell them. "Peeta and I will grab the pillows and blankets."

"Let's go Clover," Finnick grabs her by the waist and escorts her out quickly. I swear I hear him yelp as soon as they exit the room. Clove does like to do damage.

Once they leave the room, Peeta starts to walk towards my closet to grab the blankets, but I grab his hand and pull him back towards me. I grab his face, kissing him deeply. It takes him by surprise but he grabs my waist and directs me towards the wall. I entangled my hands through his hair, feeling his soft curls. He breaks away, and rests his forehead against mine, looking deep in my eyes.

"You really don't understand the effect you have on me." He whispers to me, brushing his hand against my cheek.

He's right. I don't understand. I don't have much to offer, but the fact that he can see some good in me makes me believe in myself. Sort of.

I steal another kiss from him. "I wish Clove and Finnick weren't staying over…" My eyes wander over to my bed, but I quickly look at Peeta again.

His eyes darken. "And why is that?"

"You'll just have to find out eventually." I wink at him, breaking away from our embrace. I don't want Clove and Finnick to think we're going at it upstairs.

I just wanted to show Peeta how much I care for him while I can.

* * *

 **Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Katniss almost messed up yet again, but in the end she got shocked into reality. Thank you again for the reviews and follows. They mean a lot to me! Keep reviewing and keep enjoying the story! I'll try to get another chapter out soon. School is tiring, but I'm attempting to balance it all. I think I've been doing a good job with updating quickly though. Alright, enjoy and I'll talk to you guys later!**


	24. What A Mess

Chapter Twenty-Four

What A Mess

Clove kicks me in the leg, causing me to jolt awake. "Wake up," She grumbles, sitting up on the couch. "Just because we stayed up most of the night, does not mean we need to skip school." She pushes herself off the couch and walks over to where Finnick and Peeta are resting. She claps in Peeta's ear and pinches Finnick awake.

"Owwwww," Finnick rubs the spot that Clove pinched. "What gives?"

"I had to wake you up somehow." She shrugs, slipping her sweater on over her tank top. Finnick rubs his eyes, but gets up.

I get up as well, walking towards Peeta, who is stretching to wake himself up. I lean down to give him a quick kiss, but it wasn't quick enough for Clove because I can hear her gag.

I turn around to look at her. "Really?"

She nods her head as she folds her clothes into her bag. "I love you two, but yuck, you just woke up."

"Clover, you would do much worse." Finnick chimes into the conversation. His toothbrush is in his mouth as he talks, making him look silly.

She grimaces at him, continuing to fold her clothes. She cracks her knuckles and leans over to face Finnick. "You're lucky that I'm thinking about Annie and her future because I sure as hell would love to cut your balls off."

He raises his hands up, surrendering himself. "Alright, Alright. I'm not here."

Their frenemy relationship is entertaining, but deep down Clove does care about Finnick.

We quickly get ready and file into the car. I get us to school quickly because I know the group wanted to meet up before we headed to class. When I reach the parking lot, I see a group of people standing by Glimmer's car. Aside from her usual posse, Cato is leaning on the hood of the car, while Glimmer is barking at the rest of the group.

I park my car towards the front of the school and also the furthest away from her. "Get out of my car," I command them, lightheartedly. I open the door, after turning the engine off, and pop open the trunk to grab my school bag. I take my phone out of my pocket just to see notifications from our group chat.

Madge: I'm here! Where ya at?

Delly: here as well...just finished a cheerleading meeting

Delly: waiting for you guys

I start to text them back, but Clove works faster.

Clove: parking lot

Johanna: I'm coming

Soon enough, Johanna, Delly, and Madge make their way towards us. Delly's hair is in a high ponytail, and she still has her practice uniform on. Madge, of course, has on a checkered dress on, and Johanna wears the simple T-shirt and ripped jeans.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!" Johanna exclaims when she sees me. She slaps her hand on my shoulder, and gives me a quick sideways hug.

"Girl, I saw you yesterday." I remind her.

"Not for long...you didn't even go to lunch." She pouts.

Madge folds her arms. "I had so much to tell you yesterday but you didn't show. At least respond to my texts!"

"Sorry friends. Had an off day, but I'm here now?"

Delly adjusts her ponytail, and pulls down her shorts a bit. "Katniss, I figured you would like to join a performing arts club. There's plenty at school. I even wrote down some. Check them out sometime." She hands me a list. I take it from her, examining it. She's very thorough, that's for sure.

"Thanks Delly. No wonder you're a student ambassador."

She smiles at me, but it fades when she looks behind me. Her voice lowers. "We should probably go. Glimmer and friends are walking over."

She says it too late. Glimmer's shrill voice rings in everyone's ear. "Peeeta," She comes up from behind him and touches his bicep. "Do you want to walk me to class?" She flutters her eyelashes.

"I would, but I'm trying to hang out with my friends before class." He brushes her off. Her face gets red, but she just folds her arms.

"You never want to hang out with me!" She stomps her foot and pouts. She glares at us, as if we are the most disgusting group she's ever seen. Clove rolls up her sleeve, and puts her school bag down. However, Cato takes notice and walks right towards Clove. When he's in front of her, he puts both of his hands on her waist and pushes her back against my car. She's taken off guard by this, but she eventually just relaxes in his arms, even putting her arms around his neck. What the hell?

"Glimmer, it's kind of hard to deal with a personality like yours," Madge surprisingly speaks up. She's not usually the one to be rude to others.

Glimmer whips her head in Madge's direction. "I know you're not talking? It's practically unbearable to hear you cry when you're filthy rich. We get it, you have daddy issues." Madge tries not to look hurt, but it fails.

Peeta steps away from Glimmer. Her face is confused. "You don't get to talk to my friends like this. We'll see you later." He grabs my hand and motions for the rest of the group to follow us.

Glimmer's fist ball up. She starts to turn around to yell with her friends, but instead her face lights up like a light bulb. She adjusts her stance, standing straight with her feet slightly apart. "Peeta, you're literally with a girl who sleeps her way around to get coke. If you don't find that terrible, then I don't know where your morals lie." She grins devilishly.

All of us turn our heads and Clove detaches herself from Cato. The confusion lies on everyone's face, but I know she's going to expose me. Even though I've never did that for coke, she's exposing my drug habits.

Finnick walks up to Glimmer and whispers something to her, but she just pushes him away. "I know exactly what I'm talking about. Katniss Everdeen, this girl acts as if she's perfect, but she's just a liar. Sad to say, but it's true."

"Alright, that's it," Clove runs over towards Glimmer and tackles her on the ground. Glimmer screams, while Clove grunts as she pulls her hair and punches her. Enboria tries to jump in, but Johanna steps in front of her, pushing her away.

I can feel the panic flow through my veins. I start trembling, and I suddenly can't breathe. I let go of Peeta's hand and avoid looking at his face. I don't want to see his reaction to this whole mess. I place my hands on my car, and try my hardest to breathe, but it's not helping me at all.

"Katniss?" I hear Peeta's voice, but I can't look up. I feel hands on my back, but I know it's not him. It's Finnick.

"Are you okay?" He says hurriedly. I shake my head, and he takes that as a sign to pick me up bridal style. "Peeta, I got this, just stop Clove from killing her." He starts running towards the building. I don't realize that I'm crying in Finnick's arms, but he doesn't seem phased by it. He gets us in to one of the single stall bathrooms, and sits me on the sink.

"Katniss, I need you to breathe. If you don't, I'm bringing you to the hospital."

I grip his hand tightly, and I try to do it as best as I can, but everytime I think about disappointing Peeta, it sends me into a whirlwind of new emotions.

"I fucked up," I croak through my tears. Finnick rubs my back in attempts to calm me down.

"No, you didn't. Stop blaming yourself."

* * *

 **Hey guys, another day, another chapter. How do you feel about this chapter? Did you expect Glimmer to blab? What do you think is going to happen afterwards? I want to know all of your thoughts! I'm glad you all enjoy the story a lot! I cannot stress how great it makes me feel. I'm working on this story, and an original story at the same time. I'm probably going to post it on Wattpad, since it's not a fanfiction, but I will let you guys know more info about it if you would like. Anyway I hope you all have a good day/night! Enjoy!**


	25. Mom

Chapter Twenty-Five

Mom

I wake up that afternoon in the hospital. An I.V. Is stuck in my arm, and I have an oxygen mask right next to my bed. I open my eyes fully to scan the room. My mom sits on a chair in the corner with her phone in her hand. She has her nurses uniform on, so she must've been here already. I'm really screwed.

She lifts her head up, noticing that I'm awake. Her smile lights her face up, and she gets herself up to get by my side. "Oh honey, I'm glad you're okay." She rubs my hair softly.

"What...what happened?" I ask her hoarsely. My throat hurts, and I feel thirsty.

"Well, according to Finnick...you had a panic attack and passed out." She continues stroking my hair, looking at me in my eyes. "What caused the panic attack?"

I don't respond immediately. I don't even know what to say. I had planned to tell my mom everything, but is this even the correct time?

"Mom, sit down. You're making me nervous." I tell her.

"Oops! I'm sorry honey," She sits down on the bed by my feet, and grips on to my hand. "I'm just glad that you're okay."

I sit up a little, adjusting the pillows to be underneath me. "I have to tell you...a lot of things." I fidget with my hands, pulling on my thumb.

"Katniss, what's wrong?" Her smile falls from her face and fills with concern. I sigh, knowing that I need to get this out, especially to my number one supporter and the one who can help me the most.

"Gale and I didn't just have a fight. He raped me...and got me addicted to drugs." I saw quickly.

Her face is horrified and she jumps out of the bed, pacing. "You and Gale stopped being friends years ago. Katniss, please tell me you weren't bottling this up for years." Her voice cracks, and she clasps her hand over her mouth.

"I'm sorry.."

"No, no, just you were abused and didn't have an outlet….but the drugs were." She turns around to face me, and walks closer.

"I stopped, but then I started again recently. I was going to tell you today because I wanted help, but I guess I got a head start." I motion to me, laying on the hospital bed.

My mom has only been speechless twice in her life: when dad died, and now.

* * *

I go home later that evening. My mom stayed with me the entire time, and when I was discharged, she spoke with her coworkers to take off for the week. I felt bad, but she reassured me that it was okay.

Once we get home, the house is pin silent. Prim went with Rue home because mom called her's to make an arrangement. I know she wants to talk, and she can't have Prim around for this. She held back in the hospital, but she's had time to think.

Mom walks into the kitchen and turns the lights on. She immediately picks up a pot and fills it with water. I watch as she silently works, cutting up potatoes on the chopping board. She plucks each one up, and puts them into the pot, boiling them.

"I've watched you grow over the years from a bright, happy young girl, to a dark teenager," She starts talking to me, her back faced away from me. Her voice quivers the more she talks, but she clears her throat. "I couldn't figure out what went wrong. You were happy one moment and then gone the next. I thought it was a phase, hormones are raging and all, but it didn't go away until recently. Ever since we moved, it seemed that you were happier, but I failed you Katniss."

I don't look up at her. Her words make me want to cry again, but that's all I've been doing lately.

"I can't stop your pain, but I can try to understand it and provide you the help you deserve. However, there's going to be some adjustments."

I nod my head, not knowing what to even say to her. I just feel like a disappointment.

"I'm driving you to and from school. Your bedroom door stays open. Your friends come here, and you can only visit Clove without conflict. You're going to attend therapy sessions at the hospital every Monday and Friday. You're also going to take up those tutoring sessions with Plutarch." She lists off all the changes that will happen.

I expected that once I told her, that there would be a change. I thought it would be harsher and she would be more mad at me, but she's hurting for me. Anyone else's parents would lose their shit.

"After I finish cooking, you're going to eat and you will finish it all. I'm taking the rest of the week off to help take care of you, and bring you to your session Friday." She opens the refrigerator to take out some more supplies.

"Okay, Mom." I mumble, glancing at my phone on the table flashing. "Is it okay to use my phone?" I ask her, not sure if it's off limits.

She nods her head, so I quickly pick it up to check my messages.

Clove: I beat that bitches ass and got suspended. Was worth. Hope you're okay though. Call me later.

I scroll to the next message.

Madge: I don't know if what Glimmer said was true, but just know that I love you and we're all here for you.

I make a mental note to call Madge later.

Finnick: regardless of what Glimmer said, everyone had your back. Do not worry about their reactions, they don't think less of you.

In the midst of reading Finnick's message, I get a call from Peeta. I just stare at the phone as it rings, not knowing what to do.

I don't understand why, but I hit decline and turn my phone off.

* * *

 **Hey guys! I meant to write more and release this like yesterday, but I got distracted. Whoops! Anyway, I would like to address a quick thing based on the reviews. Katniss is not a crackhead. Glimmer accused her of sleeping with people for Coke, which was referring to cocaine. Those drugs aren't the same and have different effects! I'm not a drug expert either, so my descriptions of her symptoms may not be the best, however when I go back to edit after I'm done with the story, i will adjust.**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys do enjoy this story. I really do appreciate the support. I'll try to get an update in soon. Tell me what you think about the chapter in the reviews. I may start responding to some at the end of each chapter and answer some questions. See you later guys!**


	26. Run

Chapter Twenty-Six

Run

I stand in front of the cafeteria with my tray. I watch as the students file in quickly, happy to find their friends. I keep debating whether to go in or not. Clove isn't even at school today because she got suspended for fighting Glimmer. Finnick is trying to get at Annie. He deserves to though because his attention has been on me. I haven't talked to Peeta at all since yesterday and I don't know if talking to him at the lunch table will do me well. Madge and I had a conversation last night, which I really needed.

 _"It's crazy how bottling up our emotions can make us do the most irrational things," I hear Madge's voice on the other end of the line. We're on the phone talking about today. "I've almost let go of myself multiple times, but I managed somehow."_

 _"How? I don't really understand what to do. I mean, my mom seems to have the answers, but I'm still just lost." I confess to her._

 _I hear her sigh into the phone. "You're going to feel lost for a while, but I promise you, it will get better."_

With my tray in my hand, I turn around and walk away from the cafeteria. I haven't talked to Peeta yet and it wouldn't be fair for me to address him in front of our friends.

I go outside towards the courtyard and pick a table close to the fields. I take my phone out of my bag, and punch in her number. Watching the phone ring, I take a bite of my French Fry, chew on it, but slowly swallow it. I don't feel like eating, but I'm force feeding myself.

"Hello?" Clove voice springs in my ear. I grab my headphones and insert them into the phone.

"Hey," I mumble to her. "You doing anything?" I ask her, hoping she got out of bed this morning.

"I got some homework out the way. My mom got mad at me for the suspension, so she forced me to get up early. Lucky for me, she just went to work. I was gonna take a nap." She explains to me.

"Then go to sleep. I'm not doing anything eventful." I poke at the mashed potatoes on my tray.

I hear ruffling in the background, then Clove clearing her throat. "No, I'm not getting off the phone till lunch is over. You're by yourself obviously, and I don't want you to feel lonely."

I don't respond immediately. Clove is thoughtful, more thoughtful than she originally gave off. Vicious, but sweet...ish. "You really are a good friend."

"You're just noticing?" She teases me. There's a small pause. I hear her sucking the life out of a straw, and I can't help but to let out a small giggle. "Anyway, when are you gonna woman up and talk to Peeta?" Clove cuts to the chase.

"...I don't know. I messed up big time. I wasn't exactly truthful to him and I've been avoiding him. I figured he was upset with me." I explain to her.

"No shit Sherlock. He's most likely pissed that you haven't been talking to him. Drugs? He could help you with that but no contact? That's a harsh one."

"I know. I already feel terrible." I tell her, pushing away my tray.

"Then, I don't know, stop being a baby and do something about it." I can imagine her rolling her eyes at me.

* * *

After school, I stick around waiting for Plutarch. Mom told me I had to stick around for his sessions, but I know he doesn't host today, but I do have to let him know that I'm attending ahead of time.

I open the door to his classroom and he's at his desk, marking papers. I knock on the wall, letting him know that I entered the room. He looks up and gives me a firm smile.

"And what brings you here today Miss Everdeen?" He looks up at me, folding his arms.

I scratch the back of my head, standing awkwardly in front of him. "I, uh, just wanted to let you know that I'm taking you up on that after school tutoring."

"Excellent. I don't think you need it too much, since your last test was excellent, but it's never a bad thing to get extra help."

I nod my head, following along to his words. "I just want to finish this class off strong. I don't really have anymore room for failure."

"There's always plenty of space for that. It's called life, Miss Everdeen. It's how you better yourself from those mistakes." He stacks his papers together and puts them away in his folder. "Nevertheless, I hope my tutoring is insightful. I'll see you tomorrow at 4." He dismisses me.

I nod my head, once again and leave his classroom. I walk to the parking lot to wait for my mom. I texted her, letting her know that I would be ready soon, so she should be here momentarily.

I sit on the sidewalk, dreading that I don't have a car anymore. Well, that I'm not able to drive it anymore. Eventually I see her car pull up, but at the same time I hear my name being called.

I turn around and see Peeta exiting the building, making his way towards me. I panic, forgetting how to breathe. My mom honking the horn brought me back to my senses. Instead of waiting for Peeta, I turn around and open the car door. I throw my bag in the back seat, and shut the door when I get into the car.

"Hey sweetie," my mom strokes my hair. "How was school?"

"Fine. I have a ton of work, so can we just get home?" I prompt her, glancing back at Peeta's figure coming towards the car.

"Isn't that-?" My mom starts to ask, but I interrupt her quickly.

"No, a lot of people look alike here. Let's just go." I urge her.

She gives me a confused look, but nevertheless puts the car in drive, and moves on.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

* * *

 **Hey guys, I know, it's been a while. I've been really busy with school, friendships, boyfriend, etc, so it's hard to make time to write sometimes. Don't worry about me abandoning this story because it's not happening. There will be times when the updates just won't come weekly, so there will be a bit of a wait in between. This doesn't mean I've forgotten about it, I'm a human with different tasks to do.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I don't have a set time for the next one, but I'll try to get it out as soon as I can. Enjoy!**


	27. Scared

Chapter Twenty-seven

Scared

"You're a fucking idiot sometimes," Clove sneers at me. Her face is a bright red, indicating how terribly pissed off at me she is.

We're sitting on the couch in the living room of my home. She snuck out of her house to come over. I told her how I ignored Peeta calling for me after school, and now I have to hear this lecture. "No, scratch that. You're an idiot all the time. I had just told you at lunch to just talk to him. Yet you do the exact opposite and runaway!" She throws her hands in the air out of frustration.

"I don't know what to do."

"Break it off with him. You act like you don't even want to let him in on your life." She looks out the window, peering at the streets. Her arms are folded now, and her leg is aggressively tapping.

"Maybe you're right…" I rest my head on my arm.

She lets out a large sigh, and turns her head back to me. "If you want to be with him, you have to give him the benefit of the doubt," She says softly, the anger in her voice depleted. "He's not going to do this for much longer you know? He's an amazing guy, but he does have feelings too."

I don't answer her because I don't need to. She's right. I lay my head backwards on the sofa. "What's stopping me?"

"You have to figure it out." She tells me. She gets up from the sofa, and puts her shoes back on. "I'm sorry for getting frustrated with you, but you don't realize how much he can help you. Finnick and I can try our best to motivate you, but you might have more in common with Peeta than you think."

"What do you mean?" I ask her, sitting up straight. What does she know?

She shakes her head at me and starts walking towards the door. "Just talk to him. Maybe you'll be surprised." I watch as she leaves the house.

I force myself to finish the rest of the homework I have before Mom calls me for dinner. After we have another long conversation about getting on the right track, I reluctantly go to my room. My window is shut and the curtains are covering the view.

I lay down on my bed. I don't know what to do. I feel like I am running out of chances with Peeta. I keep doing the exact opposite that he wants me to do, which is to confide in him. He doesn't have to prove to me that he cares, yet I'm too prideful to let him in.

Grabbing my phone, I dial Finnick. He answers immediately, causing me to let out a small smile. "Kit-Kat. Talk to me."

"I'm not an affectionate person at all Finnick, but I called because I had to say some things…" I tell him.

I hear him giggle over the phone. "Katniss darling, I appreciate the confession. I get it, we're basically soulmates but I love Annie and you have Peeta," He says dramatically.

I roll my eyes. This man always likes to make these childish jokes when i'm trying to be serious. "Finnick you know if I actually wanted you, you would be on your knees right now ecstatic," I retort. "But, seriously, I appreciate and have so much love for you. You've done a lot to help and I feel like I need to keep letting you know that."

He fakes a sniffle. "You're warming up my tiny heart Katniss. I didn't know you had it on you."

I laugh at his comment. It is rare, but I wanted to make sure he understood me. "Yeah, I didn't realize it either." My voice starts to waver.

"You sound scared." He points out.

"I have to woman up and finally talk to Peeta without running away. I'm terrified." I confess to him.

"It's going to be fine Katniss. Just let it out, and he will understand."

"I know."

* * *

I feel my phone vibrating under my pillow. I value sleep so much, so for whatever reason my phone is ringing, it better be a good one. I groan and lift my head off the pillow. I slide my hand under to retrieve my phone, and unlock it.

Peeta: Open the window.

I squint my eyes to look at the time. It's 2:30 am. Why is he even awake?

Peeta: Now.

I feel like I'm in trouble. I get myself out of bed and slip on the shorts I left on my floor. I open the curtains, only to be met with Peeta's piercing stare. I unlock the latch and step back from the window. He climbs into my room.

My door is wide open, only because my mom made me keep it open. I hold up a finger to prevent Peeta from talking yet, and walk to the door to close it. I'll open it back when we're done talking.

"Peeta-" I say his name, but I'm quickly cut off by the thick tension in the room. He shakes his head at me. His face stone cold.

"You do not realize the effect you have on me," Those words he has said before. This time there's a new meaning. "I spend my time trying to show you that I care about you. I wouldn't do anything to hurt you."

"I know." I say quietly. I look down at my feet to avoid his stare.

"You don't act like it. It physically hurts me when you avoid me like the plague." He pauses. I hear him sigh before continuing. "You thought Glimmer's words were going to somehow change my feelings towards you, but you were wrong. My feelings for you will not disappear, but I will not let you push me away like this continuously."

I can feel the tears welling up. I blink to attempt to hold them back. "I just didn't think you would understand…"

Peeta looks very frustrated. I can tell that he's holding back a lot. "You've put me on this pedestal. You think that you're beneath me, but you have no idea what I have gone through either," He walks up to me slowly. "I'm not a perfect man, so do not think you are. I have plenty of stories I will tell you that you would not expect."

He lifts my chin up with his hand, forcing me to look into his eyes. Eye contact is terrifying. "Do you understand?" He asks me.

"I do."

"Let me take care of you."

I nod my head. "I'm sorry Peeta."

He just wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me closer to him. I naturally hook my arms around his neck and settle my head into his chest. We stand like this for a while, not needing to say anything else.

I lift up my head and give him a kiss on the cheek.

I will do better for the both of us.

* * *

 **Hello everyone, I know it's been a very long time. Life really kicked me in the ass and I grew insecure with the story. Was also just really busy and was dealing with anxiety. Feel free to PM me if you have questions, I don't mind. Hopefully, I will be able to update again soon. I'm sorry for the long break :(. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Anyway, see you guys later!**


	28. Seeking Help

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Seeking Help

As the last bell rings signaling the end of school, I walk out of the classroom ready to tackle another obstacle. Today is my first therapy session, and I'm not very excited about it. I can't back out on it because I need this. God, I need this.

I walks down the hallway, holding a textbook across my chest. I wore a pink blouse, a white skirt, and high kneed socks. I felt like putting in an effort on making myself look...more appealing. I haven't figured out my exact style yet, but I don't think this is it. My hair is tossed in a loose side braid. I would've worn a headband, but I had already felt like a prep school kid.

"Kit-Kat," I turn around and see Finnick rushing towards me. He slings his arm across my shoulder and flashes a smile at me. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

I roll my eyes at him and shake my head. "I saw you at lunch." I say deadpanned.

We continue walking together down the hallway. "I know, but that was before I had gotten good news."

I raise my eyebrow. "Which is...?"

"I finally got Annie to go out on a date with me," His face is excited, but his eyes have hints of nervousness.

I smile at him. "Great, so when's the wedding?" I tease him. "But in all seriousness, this is your big moment. Don't screw it up."

Once we reach the exit doors, we stroll outside together into the courtyard. I sit down on one of the spots with him.

"I won't. At all. I...I'll try not to...She's just...perfect. It's hard for me to stay calm around her." He explains to me.

I nod my head, placing my hand on his. "You're going to impress her so hard that she'll be falling even harder than you," I attempt to give his ego a boost. "Besides, when are you gonna introduce her to the rest of us?"

"All in due time."

My phone starts vibrating, signaling that my mom's here to pick me up. "Gotta go Finn. I'll call you later?"

"Yeah," He agrees. I start to walk away, but he calls out to me again. "Oh, and good luck !"

* * *

I'm very nervous about this session. I don't want to be here. My mom dropped me off in front of his office and left. Now, I'm in the waiting area playing with my braid.

"Katniss Everdeen?" The receptionist calls my name. I get up from the chair and slowly walk towards her desk. "Just sign your name here sweetie, then walk through the door and take a left. His name is on the door." She instructs me, handing me a clipboard and a pen.

I quickly sign my name and hand the clipboard back to her. Turning away from the desk, I walk through the door leading to the offices. I follow her direction with ease until I find myself in front of my therapist's door.

Haymitch Abernathy

I raise my hand and knock on the door. I hear a response, indicating for me to come in. I turn the knob and step into the room.

I did not expect him to look so...disgruntled? His hair is unkept and greasy, he could stand to upkeep his beard, and his desk is a bit messy. He doesn't look too good himself.

"Hello," I say cautiously. I push the door closed and awkwardly stand in front of his desk. "My names-"

"Katniss Everdeen...yes, I know exactly who you are," He takes out a manila folder that has my name scribbled on. He looks me up and down with a frown. "What are you standing there for? Sit down." He says firmly.

I follow what he says, sitting down in the chair in front of his desk. He runs through my folder for a second before placing it down on the desk.

"Listen sweetheart, I've been doing this work for 15 years. From the way your fidgeting in your chair, I can tell you're uncomfortable," He folds his hands. "Don't worry, I'm not here to force you to spill your deep dark secrets to me. Instead, I'm here to help you...move on."

I blankly stare at him, not knowing what to say.

"Since you don't want to speak first, i'll introduce myself. I'm Dr. Haymitch Abernathy and i'm an alcoholic. Only a month clean, but who knows when I'll fly off the handle again?" He speaks calmly.

My brows scrunch up. "Is that you just trying to be relatable to me? If so, I'm not impressed."

He lets out a chuckle. "Sweetheart, what good would it do either of us if I was pandering to you specifically? I introduce myself this way to all of my patients."

"Interesting..." I mumble.

"What brings you here today?" He stands from his desk and begins walking around the room.

I shrug. "My mom made me come."

"And why's that?" He stops in front of the window.

"That's a long story." I keep my answers short.

I watch as he slowly turns himself around to face me. "Thank god, we have plenty of time. Now, how would you like to begin?"

"I don't like talking about it. " I grit my teeth.

He shakes his head. "You lack communication skills. Noted."

Is this an actual therapist that my mom sent me to? This has to be a joke. "You've got to be kidding me." I mumble.

"Passive aggressive. Also noted," He comments, picking up book from his shelf. "I don't expect you to be eager. Frankly, you don't have to like my methods. I'm not the average licensed professional, but I do my job very well. Better than you think." He says slowly, enunciating every word.

I shrug my shoulders. "Okay."

"You know that the world doesn't offer much security, at least in your eyes. When did you feel the most secure in your life?"

"When my dad was alive." I say quickly, not even having to think about it.

"How was your mom and dad's relationship?"

"They were happy together. They were completely in love. I don't think my mom is ever going to consider finding another person because he was the one."

He sits on his desk and crosses his leg. "Looks like we're getting somewhere. Do you think their relationship has affected your outlook on love?"

I sit there blankly for a moment. When my dad died, my mom was broken. She kept pushing, but her spirit died along with him. Love leaves you feeling vulnerable and dependent.

I nod my head to his question. "It really has."

* * *

 **Hey guys, I'm glad I was able to get another chapter out pretty quickly. I hope you enjoy it and feel free to leave a review! I'll try to update again by next week.**


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